Influence of octadecyl dihydrogen phosphate on the formation of active super-fine calcium carbonate.

A carbonation process for the synthesis of active super-fine calcium carbonate particles from Ca(OH)(2) slurry at room temperature using a CO(2)-N(2) gas mixture was investigated. Industrial octadecyl dihydrogen phosphate (A) was added as a size-controlling additive and modifier in different reaction periods according to the pH of the medium. Analysis of the reaction products led to the conclusion that the addition of A in the digestion period could inhibit the crystal growth of calcium carbonate, while the addition of A at pH 7 of the medium could modify the surface character of the calcium carbonate particle, which was found to exhibit hydrophobic properties. From transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the hydrophobic property was attributed to the deposition of calcium alkyl phosphates, produced in the reaction mixture, onto the surface of calcium carbonate particle. IR spectra and TGA analysis of the obtained products indicated that A was bound onto the crystalline CaCO(3).