Influence of acidic polysaccharides on precipitation rates and polymorph of calcium carbonate minerals

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of polysaccharides on the precipitation rates and polymorph of CaCO3 minerals, precipitation experiments were performed in systems containing alginic acid or gellan gum. Results indicated that both alginic acid and gellan gum significantly inhibited the precipitation of CaCO3 minerals and enhanced the formation of calcite as a dominant polymorph with increasing concentrations of the polysaccharides. These effects on the precipitation rates and polymorph was much greater for alginic acid than for gellan gum.