Industrial Minerals
What it is
Ground calcium carbonate is calcite crushed and classified to a target particle size. It is the most-used mineral filler on earth for one reason: it adds volume and whiteness at the lowest cost per kilo of any white material, and it does so without chemistry surprises.
Why buyers specify it
- Highest brightness per dollar of any filler in the range.
- Narrow particle distributions available, which protects gloss in a coating.
- Coated grades disperse into polyolefins without the moisture pickup of uncoated powder.
- Chemically simple and predictable — the opposite of a problem raw material.
Grades we supply
Grade names are ours; the fineness and the duty are what you match against your current material.
| Grade | Treatment | Typical D50 | Usually bought for |
|---|---|---|---|
| XC-200 | Uncoated | 20 – 30 µm | Dry mix, agriculture, economy filler |
| XC-800 | Uncoated | 5 – 8 µm | Emulsion paint, putty, PVC |
| XC-1500 | Uncoated | 2 – 4 µm | High-gloss coatings, paper |
| XC-C800 | Stearate coated | 5 – 8 µm | Polyolefin filler masterbatch |
Other finenesses and surface treatments are available against a firm enquiry. If you are switching from another supplier, send their data sheet and we will match the curve rather than the mesh number.
Typical analysis
Chemistry
| Component | Typical range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| CaCO3 | 97 – 99.5 % | — |
| MgCO3 | 0.2 – 1.5 % | — |
| SiO2 | 0.1 – 1.0 % | Acid insolubles |
| Fe2O3 | 0.02 – 0.15 % | Brightness limiter |
Physical properties
| Property | Typical range | Method basis |
|---|---|---|
| ISO brightness | 90 – 96 % | Elrepho |
| Oil absorption | 14 – 25 g/100 g | Low — allows very high loading |
| Specific gravity | 2.70 – 2.72 | — |
| pH (10 % slurry) | 8.5 – 9.5 | — |
| Moisture as packed | ≤ 0.2 % | — |
| Mohs hardness | 3 | — |
These are typical ranges for calcite / ground calcium carbonate, not a specification. The values that govern your order are the ones measured on your lot and printed on its mill test certificate. Ask for a sample and the certificate that goes with it before you commit a production trial.
Where it is used
Calcite / Ground Calcium Carbonate is not one product sold 5 ways — it is 5 different conversations about the same mineral. We supply it into plastics & masterbatch, paint & coatings, paper & board, adhesives & sealants and detergents & soaps, and in each of those the grade that works is chosen for a different reason: fineness in one, brightness in another, oil absorption or purity in the next.
Each industry below has its own page on this site, written for the people who formulate in it rather than for a general reader. If you work in one of them, start there — it will tell you which calcite / ground calcium carbonate grade we would quote for your application and what we need to know before quoting it.
- Plastics & Masterbatch — Filler masterbatch at 70–80 % loading; coated grades for polyolefins.
- Paint & Coatings — Volume extender in emulsion and industrial paints.
- Paper & Board — Filler and coating pigment in alkaline papermaking.
- Adhesives & Sealants — Bulk and rheology in sealants.
- Detergents & Soaps — Filler and abrasive.
Coated versus uncoated. A stearate coating costs more per tonne and usually saves money in a polyolefin line: better dispersion, less moisture, higher loading before properties fall away. For a water-based paint it is wasted. We quote whichever one the application actually needs.
Packing
| Pack | Detail | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 25 kg paper or PP bag | Palletised 40 bags per pallet, stretch-wrapped | Powders |
| 50 lb bag | US-standard weight where the plant prefers it | Powders |
| 1,000 kg / 1 MT jumbo bag | Four-loop FIBC with discharge spout | Powders, sand, granules |
| Bulk | Pneumatic tanker or loose in container, where volume justifies it | Sand, granules, lump |
Private-label bags with your own artwork are available from one container. How private label works.
Documents with every shipment
- Mill test certificate for the lot, with the measured values, not the range
- Certificate of analysis signed by the processing plant
- Safety data sheet in the US 16-section GHS format
- Certificate of origin and the commercial invoice and packing list
- Asbestos test report where the mineral and the application call for one
Related minerals
Need a price on calcite / ground calcium carbonate?
Send the grade, the tonnage and the delivery ZIP code. Quote and free sample back within one business day.