Original scientific paper

On Calcium Carbonates: from Fundamental Research to Application

Ljerka Brečević ; Laboratory for Precipitation Processes, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
Damir Kralj ; Laboratory for Precipitation Processes, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Appearance of a solid phase from aqueous solution, known as precipitation, is responsible for
the formation of numerous natural materials and technological products. Therefore, the knowledge
on mechanisms of elementary processes involved in precipitation should be considered
in the areas such as geology, oceanology, biomineralization, medicine, basic chemical and
pharmaceutical industries, analytical and materials chemistry in particular. Calcium carbonates
are a very suitable model system for investigations of these processes. Owing to their low solubility,
a wide range of initial supersaturations can be achieved that direct to different conditions
under which a particular process dominates. Calcium carbonates can precipitate in the form of
six modifications (polymorphic or hydrated). In the Laboratory for Precipitation Processes, systematic
investigations of the conditions for formation, crystal growth and transformation of
amorphous calcium carbonate, calcium carbonate hexahydrate, calcium carbonate monohydrate,
vaterite and calcite have been performed during the last nearly twenty years. An overview
of these studies is presented.

Keywords

Calcium carbonates; calcite; vaterite; amorphous calcium carbonate; calcium carbonate hexahydrate; calcium carbonate monohydrate; elementary precipitation processes; mechanisms; kinetics

Hrčak ID:

18671

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/18671

Publication date:

30.11.2007.

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