What is calcium carbonate in chemistry. Calcium carbonate, white chalk (E170). Use of E170 additive as an ingredient in food products

Structural formula

True, empirical, or gross formula: CCaO3

Chemical composition of calcium carbonate

Molecular weight: 100.088

Calcium carbonate (calcium carbonate) is an inorganic chemical compound of carbonic acid and calcium. Chemical formula - CaCO 3. Found in nature in the form of minerals - calcite, aragonite and vaterite, it is the main integral part limestone, marble, chalk, part of egg shells. Insoluble in water and ethanol. Registered as white food coloring (E170).

Application

Used as white food coloring E170. Being the basis of chalk, it is used for writing on boards. It is used in everyday life for whitewashing ceilings, painting tree trunks, and for alkalizing the soil in gardening.

Mass production/use

Purified from foreign impurities, calcium carbonate is widely used in paper and food industry, in the production of plastics, paints, rubber, products household chemicals, in construction. Paper manufacturers use calcium carbonate simultaneously as a bleaching agent, a filler (replacing expensive fibers and dyes), and a deoxidizing agent. Manufacturers of glassware, bottles, and fiberglass use calcium carbonate in huge quantities as a source of calcium - one of the main elements necessary for glass production. Widely used in the production of personal care products (such as toothpaste) and in the medical industry. In the food industry, it is often used as an anti-caking agent and separating agent in dry milk products. If consumed in excess of the recommended dose (1.5 g per day), it may cause milk-alkali syndrome (Burnett's syndrome). Recommended for diseases of bone tissue.
Plastic manufacturers are one of the main consumers of calcium carbonate (more than 50% of total consumption). Used as a filler and dye, calcium carbonate is necessary in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester fibers (crimplene, lavsan, etc.), polyolefins. Products made from these types of plastics are widespread - pipes, plumbing fixtures, tiles, tiles, linoleum, carpets, etc. Calcium carbonate makes up about 20% of the coloring pigment used in the production of paints.

Construction

Construction is another major consumer of calcium carbonate. Putties, various sealants - they all contain calcium carbonate in significant quantities. Also, calcium carbonate is the most important constituent element in the production of household chemicals - plumbing cleaners, shoe polishes.
Calcium carbonate is also widely used in cleaning systems as a pollution control agent. environment, with the help of calcium carbonate they restore acid-base balance soil.

Being in nature

Calcium carbonate is found in minerals in the form of polymorphs:

Aragonite
Calcite
Vaterite (or μ-CaCO 3)

The trigonal crystal structure of calcite is the most common.
Calcium carbonate minerals are found in the following rocks:

Limestone
Marble
Travertine

Geology

Calcium carbonate is a common mineral. In nature, there are three polymorphs (minerals with the same chemical composition, but with different crystal structures): calcite, aragonite and vaterite (vaterite). Some rocks (limestone, chalk, marble, travertine and other calcareous tuffs) consist almost entirely of calcium carbonate with some impurities. Calcite is a stable polymorph of calcium carbonate and is found in a wide variety of geological environments: sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks. About 10% of all sedimentary rocks are made up of limestones composed predominantly of calcite remains of shells of marine organisms. Aragonite is the second most stable polymorph of CaCO 3 and is mainly formed in the shells of mollusks and the skeletons of some other organisms. Aragonite can also form in inorganic processes, for example in karst caves or hydrothermal vents. Vaterite is the least stable variety of this carbonate, and very quickly turns into either calcite or aragonite in water. It is relatively rare in nature when its crystal structure is stabilized by certain impurities.

Manufacturing

The vast majority of calcium carbonate extracted from minerals is used industrially. Pure calcium carbonate (for example, for food production or pharmaceutical use) can be made from a pure source (usually marble). Alternatively, calcium carbonate can be prepared by calcination of calcium oxide. dissolves, forming an acidic salt - calcium bicarbonate Ca(HCO 3) 2: CaCO 3 + CO 2 + H 2 O → Ca(HCO 3) 2. The existence of this particular reaction makes it possible to form stalactites, stalagmites and others. the most beautiful forms, and in general karst will develop. At 1500 °C, together with carbon, it forms calcium carbide and carbon monoxide (II) CaCO 3 + 4C → CaC 2 + 3CO.

Calcium carbonate is an antacid, antiulcer, and calcium deficiency drug.

Pharmacological action of calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate weakens or completely neutralizes the damaging effect hydrochloric acid on the mucous membranes of the esophagus and stomach. After taking the drug, the acidity of gastric juice decreases and the electrolyte balance normalizes.

Calcium, as a macroelement, is necessary for the formation bone tissue, stable operation heart, normal transmission of nerve impulses. In addition, calcium is involved in the process of blood clotting.

There is another drug with the same antacid effect as calcium carbonate. This is Calcium carbonate + magnesium carbonate - a drug that reduces the acidity of the stomach, reducing the breakdown of proteins (peptic activity of gastric juice).

The effect of the drug does not cause changes acid-base balance, as well as increased secretion of hydrochloric acid after taking the medicine. Magnesium, one of the active components of the drug, helps to activate metabolic processes and has antispasmodic, antiarrhythmic, and antiplatelet effects. In addition, the microelement takes part in regulating the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins, and is responsible for the processes of transfer, storage and utilization of energy.

Release form

The drugs are produced in the form of tablets and calcium carbonate powder, as well as in the form of regular and chewable tablets calcium with magnesium.

Indications for use of calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate is used: for reflux esophagitis, digestive disorders, flatulence, discomfort and pain in the epigastrium, for increased acidity of gastric juice, for the prevention of osteoporosis in the elderly, caries and rickets in children.

Taking the drug Calcium carbonate + magnesium carbonate is necessary for diseases digestive tract accompanied by increased secretion and acidity of gastric juice.

The drug is also prescribed in case of magnesium deficiency, determined by such symptoms as: sleep disturbance, fatigue, muscle spasms, myalgia. Taking the complex gives a good effect during rapid growth children, intense sports.

The drug is useful for the prevention of oxalate nephrourolithiasis. Prescription to pregnant women is allowed, but only after consultation with a gynecologist monitoring the course of pregnancy.

Drug interactions Calcium carbonate

Simultaneous ingestion of calcium carbonate with other medicines may slow down their absorption. Taking the drug together with antibiotics belonging to the tetracycline group leads to a decrease in the concentration of tetracyclines in the blood plasma and a decrease in their clinical effectiveness.

Calcium carbonate taken concomitantly with thiazide diuretics increases the risk of developing metabolic alkalosis and hypercalcemia.

Simultaneous use of the drug with indomethacin reduces the absorption of the substance and its negative irritating effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

The clinical effectiveness of levothyroxine is also reduced if it is taken together with calcium carbonate.

How to use calcium carbonate

For adults, the dose of calcium carbonate tablets and powder taken to neutralize hydrochloric acid is from 0.5 to 1 gram per day. To prevent osteoporosis - from 0.6 to 1.2 grams per day.

Calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate are prescribed to adults and children, starting from the age of twelve, two tablets per dose. The drug is taken at the time of the onset of symptoms of the disease, or after meals. IN difficult situations Let's take the medicine every two hours. It is not recommended to swallow the tablets; they should be kept in the mouth until completely dissolved (absorbed). The maximum dose is twelve tablets per day.

Side effects of calcium carbonate

As a result long-term use Calcium carbonate can cause alkaline substances to accumulate in the body, which in turn causes an increase in pH levels in the blood and tissues.

In case of an overdose (more than two grams of calcium per day), hypercalcemia or milk-alkali syndrome occurs, accompanied by headache, weakness, loss of appetite (sometimes leading to anorexia), nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, thirst, polyuria, lethargy, pain in muscles and joints, violation heart rate, kidney damage.

If the above symptoms appear, you must do a gastric lavage and take activated charcoal. Symptomatic therapy with maintenance of vital functions is also necessary.

Calcium with magnesium can cause diarrhea, allergic reactions, hypermagnesemia, hypercalcemia (especially in patients suffering from renal failure). All symptoms disappear after stopping the drug.

Contraindications to the use of calcium carbonate

Calcium Carbonate tablets, intended for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, caries and rickets, should not be taken to reduce acidity. As an antacid, calcium carbonate is not recommended to take more than sixteen tablets per day.

It is prohibited to take the drug in maximum dose more than two weeks without seeing a doctor. If, according to indications, long-term use of high doses ah, regular monitoring of kidney function indicators and blood calcium concentrations is required.

Calcium with magnesium is prohibited for use by children under twelve years of age, as well as by patients with diseases such as: phenylketonuria, serious illnesses kidneys, hypercalcemia, hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

Storage conditions

To store drugs, you need a dry place with a temperature of no more than +25 ° C.

The food additive calcium carbonate or “white chalk” is a substance that is on labels food products most often labeled as dye E170. Its main property is to give products white. The substance is of natural origin and is not only harmless, but even beneficial for humans. In this regard, calcium carbonate has found its application in the food industry, in the production of medicines, anti-inflammatory and antacid agents, vitamins and biologically active additives. The only condition is to avoid overdosing on the substance, because in this case it can cause unpleasant symptoms.

Origin and chemical properties of the “white chalk” dye

The name of the substance speaks for itself: it consists of ordinary white chalk, which contains an inorganic coloring pigment. In living nature, the dye is found in the form of certain minerals: calcite, vaterite or aragonite, in rocks, for example, in marble, limestone, travertine. Some invertebrates (molluscs, sponges) are composed of various forms of calcium carbonate.

In its own way chemical structure Additive E170 is a salt of carbonic acid; it is highly resistant to aggressive environments and does not dissolve in and. This food additive is also not afraid of high temperatures - the melting point of calcite reaches 825 degrees Celsius, aragonite - 1339 degrees. When heated to 900-1400 degrees Celsius, the substance breaks down into carbon dioxide and quicklime. If it is still necessary to obtain a solution of the additive with water, carbon dioxide is added to the mixture. As a result of this interaction, an acidic salt is formed.

Calcium carbonate is extracted during the processing of natural chalk deposits, and it enters industry and production in the form of a white crumbly powder with small granules, tasteless and odorless. The highest quality and safest dye is obtained by processing marble: the resulting substance is highly resistant to many types of processing, it is completely hypoallergenic and harmless, which is why it is used for coloring food products.

For technical purposes, a dye obtained by calcination of calcium oxide can be used. The oxide is combined with water, after which the mixture is treated with carbon dioxide, resulting in precipitation of the substance.

For industrial purposes, white chalk is used as:

stabilizer, as it contributes to the formation and preservation of the texture and consistency of the product;
leavening agent and anti-caking agent: calcium carbonate is added to the product during cooking to give it the appropriate physical properties, flowability and absence of lumps;
acidity regulator, since the additive helps to establish and maintain a certain level of acidic environment;
a dye that gives an attractive tint to goods.

Use of E170 additive as an ingredient in food products

The food industry practically cannot do without white chalk, because it is completely harmless to humans and is approved for use by children. As a leavening agent, coloring agent, stabilizer, it is used to prepare:

baby food;
concentrated and;
hard cheeses.

Cosmetics industry - in which products is the substance found?

White chalk is one of the components of creams, powders and foundations for the face, mattifying lotions, body creams and scrubs, blush, concealers, hair dyes, and children's cosmetics. The substance has the property of absorbing excess sebum, thereby removing oily shine and evening out skin tone. As a thickener and stabilizer, calcium carbonate improves consistency cosmetics, promotes the absorption of excess water and prevents the appearance of lumps. As a weak abrasive component, it cleans and adds shine, which is why it is used in the production of toothpastes. Naturally, the coloring effect of white chalk is also used by manufacturers of cosmetics - with its help they give products a white color.

Medical use

Useful properties this food additives determined its popularity as a component of medicines. For example, for those who suffer peptic ulcer stomach and intestines, gastritis with increased acidity and the reflux of bile, the usual antacids like Almagel have become a real salvation, and one of the active ingredients in them is calcium carbonate. It is able to reduce the acidity of gastric juice, normalize electrolyte balance and neutralize heartburn.

Since calcium is a substance that is involved in the process of blood clotting, in the functioning of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, in the formation of bone tissue in the body, it is indicated to be taken for osteoporosis, caries, rickets, hypocalcemia, pregnancy and breastfeeding, as part of normalizing therapy in the treatment of allergies, during intensive growth in children. White chalk is able to normalize the “naughty” blood pressure, therefore it is recommended for people with high or low blood pressure.

With magnesium deficiency and accompanying symptoms(muscle spasms, increased fatigue, sleep disorders), white chalk is effective as a component of general normalizing therapy.

Construction and chemical industries and calcium carbonate

The substance is used as a component of putties and various sealants in the production of glass, paper, household chemicals, paints (technical and artistic), and plastics. For the production of the latter, about 45-50% of all white chalk in the world is mined. As a filler and dye, it is used to produce polyvinyl chloride, polyolefins, and polyester fibers.

For agriculture, calcium carbonate is a means to cleanse the soil and restore its acid-base balance.

Impact on the human body

The substance is not only harmless, but also beneficial for humans, as it has pronounced medicinal and anti-inflammatory properties. Its use is recommended for children, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly, those who suffer from rickets, osteoporosis and other disorders of bone tissue development.

Since the supplement, when taken orally, helps reduce acidity in the stomach and has an enveloping effect, it can be used by people with inflammatory and ulcerative diseases of the digestive tract.

In case of calcium deficiency in the body, white chalk is introduced into the diet in the form of dietary supplements and mineral complexes.

In addition to beneficial properties, calcium carbonate in some cases can also have negative impact to your health. It should not be used if hypercalcemia is present, as nausea, vomiting, incoordination and abdominal pain may result. In case of severe overdose, milk-alkali disease may develop, which is accompanied by toxic poisoning, and in especially severe cases may lead to death. Atherosclerosis, thrombosis, renal dysfunction and increased sensitivity to white chalk are contraindications to its use.

The daily intake of the substance is 1.2-1.5 g per day for an adult. In such quantities it cannot cause any harm to health.

It should be remembered that long-term use additives lead to its accumulation in the tissues and cells of the body, and as a result, the level of acidity in the body may increase.

Application of calcium carbonate as remedy can only be carried out after consultation with a doctor.

As a food and technical coloring agent, stabilizer, leavening agent and thickener, the E170 additive is approved for use in Ukraine, Russia, Canada, the USA and almost all countries of the European Union, Australia and the UK. The beneficial properties of calcium carbonate paved the way for it in the food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in the production of plastics, paints, glass, and household chemicals. Natural white chalk is extracted from natural rocks, and is highly valued by manufacturers for its natural origin, as well as resistance to heat treatment, acids and ethanol.

Many natural substances are actively used by humans in industry, pharmaceuticals and cosmetology. At correct use they can bring us enormous benefits, but even when we systematically encounter such elements in medicines, food and cosmetics, we most often are not aware of the diversity of their qualities. Just such substances include calcium carbonate, the use and properties of which we will now discuss in a little more detail.

Applications of calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate is mostly mined by humans from various kinds minerals, after which it is actively used in industry. So, after purification from foreign impurities, this substance is actively used in the creation of paper, food, plastics, paints and rubber. It also found a place in the production of household chemicals, as well as in construction.

Calcium carbonate is quite actively used in the production of personal care products (for example, it is added to toothpaste), as well as in the medical industry. In food processing, it usually plays the role of an anti-caking agent and also a separating agent in various dairy products.

Properties of calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate is a white powder or crystals. It has neither smell nor taste. This substance is practically insoluble in water, but is quite soluble in dilute hydrochloric or nitric acid, and the dissolution process is accompanied by the active release of carbon dioxide. The substance “calcium carbonate” is the source of forty percent calcium.

Medicinal properties

Calcium carbonate is able to neutralize hydrochloric acid, helping to significantly reduce acidity digestive juice. The medicine has a fairly rapid effect, but after the buffering effect ceases, a slight increase in the production of gastric juice is observed.

Consumption of calcium carbonate helps reduce osteoclast activity and slow down bone resorption. This substance does a good job of optimizing electrolyte balance.

Among other things, calcium carbonate directly supplies the human body with calcium, which takes an active part in the processes of blood clotting, as well as in the formation of bone tissue. Calcium is also needed for excellent heart function and for the complete transmission of nerve impulses.

Application in medicine

Active substance Calcium carbonate can be used to treat patients with excessive acidity of gastric juice, as well as for diseases of the digestive system that occur against the background of such a disorder. Such ailments include exacerbation chronic form gastritis, acute type gastritis or duodenitis, symptomatic ulcerative lesions of different etiologies. Also on this list is an ulcer in the acute stage, reflux esophagitis, erosive lesions of the mucous membranes, heartburn (after excessive intake of nicotine, coffee, medications and diet disorders).

Also, the use of calcium carbonate may be advisable in the correction of osteoporosis, caries and rickets in children, in the treatment of tetany and osteomalacia. It is recommended to take it when a person’s need for calcium increases, which is observed with breastfeeding, at the stage of active growth, during pregnancy and other similar conditions.

Calcium carbonate is sometimes used as an adjuvant therapy for allergic reactions and hypocalcemia.

Additional information

Calcium carbonate dosage. Application

Calcium carbonate is administered orally, without regard to meal times, twice or thrice a day in an amount of 250-1000 mg.

It is worth considering that when consuming high doses this tool over a long period of time, it is extremely important to systematically monitor the level of calcium in the patient’s blood, as well as monitor kidney function indicators. If calcium carbonate tablets are produced in the form of tablets intended for the prevention and correction of caries, osteoporosis, and rickets, they should not be used as an antacid composition.

Contraindications for calcium carbonate

The use of calcium carbonate is strictly not recommended if the patient has hypersensitivity to this element, as well as hypercalcemia (vitamin D overdose, hyperparathyroidism and bone metastases). This medication is contraindicated for nephrourolithiasis, multiple myeloma, chronic renal failure, phenylketonuria and sarcoidosis.

Side effects calcium carbonate

In some cases, the use of calcium carbonate can provoke allergic reactions; sometimes such treatment causes dyspeptic symptoms, represented by flatulence, epigastric pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation. If you consume more than two grams of calcium per day, the patient is likely to develop hypercalcemia. In addition, some patients with this treatment face the problem of a secondary increase in gastric secretion.

Please note that exceeding the recommended dosage may result in an overdose of calcium carbonate. This condition requires gastric lavage and administration activated carbon. In addition, symptomatic correction can be carried out, and, if necessary, measures are taken to maintain vital functions.

Thus, active substance calcium carbonate, the properties of which we have only examined, has sufficient wide range application and can bring enormous benefits to humans.

Ekaterina, www.site

P.S. The text uses some forms characteristic of oral speech.

Calcium carbonate

Chemical properties

Calcium Carbonate, what is it? This is an inorganic chemical. compound, salt formed Ca And carbonic acid . Chemical formula of Calcium Carbonate: CaCO3. In nature, the substance can be found in calcite, vaterite, aragonite, marble, limestone, ordinary chalk, eggshells. It is a fairly common mineral, according to chemical formula has three polymorphic modifications.

By appearance– odorless white crystals or fine powder. The substance is insoluble in water, alcohol, soluble in dilute nitrogen And hydrochloric acid (this releases carbon dioxide). According to Wikipedia, molar mass substance = 100.1 grams per mole.

Calcium carbonate is made from minerals, mainly marble. IN laboratory conditions the compound can be prepared via an oxide calcination reaction Ca, eventually formed Ca hydroxide , through which they pass CO2 and settles down carbonate . For chemical properties characterized by the decomposition reaction of Calcium Carbonate, in which, under the influence of high temperature, the substance breaks down into quicklime and carbon dioxide. Also for chemical compound characteristic reaction with water and CO2, with education Ca bicarbonate .

The product is used:

for the production of paint, plastics, household chemicals and rubber;
as food coloring E170 ;
in the production of chalk for writing on a blackboard, plastics;
in whitewashing for trees, ceilings and gardening;
in the food and paper industries;
in paper production (bleach, deoxidizer, filler);
as a source of calcium in the production of tableware, fiberglass, glass products;
in medicine.

Pharmacological action

Antiulcer, replenishes calcium deficiency, antacid.

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics

When the product enters the digestive tract, neutralization occurs hydrochloric acid , the acidity of gastric juice in general decreases. The effect of using Calcium Carbonate occurs quite quickly, however, if the effect ceases, the opposite effect may occur, the secretion of gastric juice increases. The substance normalizes electrolyte levels and inhibits activity osteoclasts , slows down the processes of bone tissue destruction.

Indications for use

Calcium carbonate is prescribed:

for diseases of the digestive tract with hyperacidity of gastric juice (, acute duodenitis , symptomatic ulcer of any origin, erosion Gastrointestinal tract, reflux esophagitis );
patients with, including during postmenopausal ;
during and in childhood;
patients with osteomalacia And tetany ;
, during breastfeeding;
during the period of intensive growth of the child;
with hypocalcemia after long-term treatment GK, for renal osteodystrophy , hypoparathyroidism , slow absorption of calcium;
as part of complex treatment allergies .

Contraindications

The product is contraindicated:

at and ;
patients with hyperkacemia ;
patients with the substance;
at hypercalciuria , nephrourolithiasis , multiple myeloma , .

Side effects

Calcium carbonate can trigger the development allergic reactions, (gas formation, pain,), secondary increase in gastric secretion, hypercalcemia , alkalosis .

Calcium carbonate, instructions for use (Method and dosage)

Individual dosage regimen. As antacid Calcium carbonate is prescribed in dosages from 500 mg to 1 gram. For prevention osteoporosis use up to 1.2 grams per day.

For children, the dosage is adjusted. Prescribe 300-600 mg of the substance per day.

Overdose

In case of overdose, it may occur hyperkacemia (take more than 2 grams per day). Symptoms: general weakness, anorexia , lack of appetite, vomiting, constipation , feeling of thirst, lethargy, polyuria , painful sensations in joints and muscles, heart rhythm disturbances, kidney disease.

It is recommended to rinse the stomach and give it to the victim. enterosorbents , carry out symptomatic treatment.