Formation and growth mechanism of calcium carbonate nanoparticles via a bubbling method

Abstract

The mechanism of formation and growth of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles by bubbling carbon dioxide in aqueous suspensions of calcium hydroxide was investigated using time-resolved in situ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopey (TEM). In situ SAXS showed a significant change in the particles size in the primary reaction. This suggests that the nucleus forms CaCO3 at in this period. After the nucleation, the crystal grow with the reaction time to yield 40 nm CaCO3 nanoparticles. TEM showed fibrous or chain-like intermediates formed by aggregation of fine particles of CaCO3 as calcite. We propose that CaCO3 crystal nuclei generated in the primary reaction grow to yield fibrous or chain-like CaCO3 which then separates into individual particles to form CaCO3 nanoparticles. © 2011 Ceramic Society of Japan.