Calcium Carbonate Glossary

Abrasion

Mechanical wear to a surface when subjected to rubbing, scraping or other mechanical means.

Agglomerates

An assemblage of primary particles, aggregates or a mixture of the two which may be broken down during normal paint-making processes.

Aggregate

A broad category of coarse particulate material used in the construction industry such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag and recycled concrete.

Agricultural Lime

Is a soil additive made from pulverized limestone, it helps to increase the pH of acidic soil.

Animal Feed

Food given to domestic animals in the course of animal husbandry. Calcium is one of the main minerals needed by animals to grow, develop and produce. Its main function in the animal is for bone and teeth formation and smooth muscle contraction.

Calcination

Decomposition of a chemical compound or driving off water of crytallisation from minerals by heating.

Calcrete

The appearance of a loosely adherent fine powder on the surface of a paint coating, arising from the degradation of one or more of its constituents.

Deposit

Natural accumulation of useable minerals and rocks which because of their size can be considered for economic extraction. If the accumulations are too small they are designated as occurrences.

Dispersibility

Ease with which pigments and fillers finely disperse.

Dolomite

Sedimentary carbonate rock.

Dry Blend

Mixture of individual formulation constituents of a powder coating or plastic comparison (PVC powder, calcium carbonate, stabilizer, pigments, etc.) which is made in the extruder before processing.

Flint

Silicon-dioxide (SiO²) mineral of biochemical origin which occurs embedded as an impurity in calcareous minerals, especially chalk. Flint mainly occurs in the form of nodules and rarely also in long bands.

Full Colour Calcium Carbonate 

Coating which contains a high concentration of a colour pigment.

GCC (Ground Calcium Carbonate)

Ground, natural calcium carbonate

Geode

An internally hollow formation in rocks ranging from a few millimeters to a few centrimeters in size. Its inner walls are covered with internally facing crystals (mainly quartz and calcite crystals).

Granule

Designaton for coarse solids (e.g. fillers, plastics) with grain size in the millimeter range.

Igneous Rock

Rock formed by the solidification of magma.

Metamorphite

Rock formed from another rock as a result of changes in temperature and pressure.

PCC (Precipated Calcium Carbonate)

Synthetic calcium carbonate.

Petrography

Systematic description of rocks.

Primer

First layer of a coating system applied directly onto the substrate. The main task of a primer or coat is to impart adhesion for the entire paint coating, as well as to protect against corrosion.

Sediment

Rock formed by deposition of weathering and decomposition products.

Shell Marl/Limestone

Non-solidified sedimentary rock consisting of numerous residues of shells and a sand or clay matrix.