Calcium carbonate for paper and board

A large range of fillers and coating pigments for best whiteness, printability and cost-effective fiber substitution.

We offer a wide range of carbonate products that differ in particle size, particle size distribution and brightness to suit all paper and board application needs.

Ground Calcium Carbonate (GCC) is composed of the crystalline mineral calcite, which occurs naturally in the form of chalk, marble or limestone. Chalk is usually fine-textured and varies in colour from deposit to deposit. Marble gives products of the highest brightness and lowest yellowness.

Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) is produced through a chemical reaction process that utilizes calcium oxide (quicklime), water and carbon dioxide to produce very pure calcium carbonate crystals. Through the reaction process, the crystals can be tailored to a variety of shapes and sizes to best fit a customer’s required performance.

Both GCC and PCC are commonly used in many types of paper, both as fillers within the paper structure as well as a coating on the surface. They are particularly prized as cost-effective fibre and TiO₂ replacements in papermaking.

Application-specific benefits

• High whiteness, brightness and opacity
• Adaptable rheology
• Improved printability
• Cost-effective fibre and TiO₂ replacement

Imerys calcium carbonate ranges

• IntraCarb™: Dedicated filler solutions that provide good retention characteristics, high light scattering and high sheet brightness.
• Carbilux™ / Carbigloss™: Solutions for high-quality coating requirements. Maintains gloss and smoothness of the coated paper or board, even at low kaolin levels. Also aids in improving water retention of coating colour.
• Carbital™/Carbopaque™: A versatile range that can cover all coating needs. This family has a high solids content that improves surface characteristics and coverage while providing production flexibility.
• Opti-Cal™ HB Scalenohedral filler: Opti-Cal HB is a precipitated calcium carbonate filler manufactured under carefully controlled conditions as a scalenohedral form of calcite crystal. The controlled growth produces a range of fine particle sizes and a narrow size distribution. When used as the primary papermaking filler, Opti-Cal HB ensures high bulk, opacity and brightness. Opti-Cal HB is recommended for use as a filler in both uncoated and coated freesheet papers.