1. General information on calcium carbonate

1.1 Origins of CaCO3

Ground calcium carbonate (GCC) is one of the most abundant minerals on the earth's surface. It is derived from :

• or massive limestones, which are ancient marine sedimentary deposits of chemical origin. Among the most famous in France are the Orgon limestones in the Bouches-du-Rhône region;

• or chalk, ancient deposits of biological origin. These carbonates are produced by marine and non-marine organisms. They are made up of the external skeletal elements of single-celled plants (coccoliths). In France, we can cite the famous Champagne chalk;

• marble or cipolin. These are limestones of metamorphic origin, resulting from the transformation of sedimentary...