LAUSR

Calcite is utilized as a filler mineral in the industries such as plastics, rubber, and paint, to gain products with a variety of features. In order to use a calcite ore as a filler, some specific physical and physico-chemical properties are required such as ultra-fine sizes and conversion of hydrophilic to hydrophobic structure. In the present study, for these purposes, surfaces of the ultra-fine calcite powder (d50=2.94 μm) were coated by a mechano-chemical process with calcium stearate [Ca(C17H35COO)2] in a stirred ball mill. The influence of operating parameters such as calcite fillingratio, ball-filling ratio, operation speed, grinding time and chemical dosage on the active ratio (%) was systematically examined. Then, the properties of modified calcite product were measured and evaluated by contact angle, TGA, DTA, FTIR, and SEM. The results showed that the mechanochemical technology is very effective for modifying the surface of micronized calcite products using calcium stearate chemical.