Abstract
We report a scalable production process of mesoporous calcium carbonate with calcite and/or vaterite phase. Here the effect of fatty acids （butanoic acid, octanoic acid, and decanoic acid） addition on the particle properties such as particle shape, crystal phase, and specific surface area was investigated. In our process, two types of mesoporous particles with difference in the particle shape and crystal phase were mainly obtained. It was found that the fatty acid controlled the self-assembly pathway of colloidal calcium carbonate. The particle shape and crystal phase depended on the additive amount of fatty acid. When the fatty acid was added in small amount to the colloidal dispersion, crystal phase of mesoporous calcium carbonate was calcite. While, adequate or excess addition of the fatty acids was favorable to form vaterite phase. We have proposed the possible mechanism for formation of mesoporous calcium carbonate.
