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Aragonite - The Best and Pure Form of Calcium Carbonate


Aragonite is a type of sand available mostly in the Bahamas region. It is a mineral consists of mostly carbonate ions and hence qualified as one of the three pure forms of calcium carbonates. The other two are calcite and vaterite which has the same chemical formula but a different structure. This aragonite mineral naturally occurs from the biological and chemical processes in marine and freshwater environments. In the Bahamas region of the United States, millions of tons of aragonite mineral are accumulated long years ago based on certain conditions. These are now permitted to export for any kind of commercial needs.

Formation of Aragonite
Oolites act as the base for the formation of aragonite. It is the small egg-shaped particles forms in the tropical marine water areas. They are fully saturated with calcium bicarbonate mineral. The carbon dioxide from the calcium bicarbonate mineral dissolves in the atmosphere when the temperature rises due to solar radiation and photosynthesis activity. This results in the separation of calcium carbonate and carbon dioxide. The calcium carbonate gets precipitated on the surface of the water and forms tiny layers. These layers interconnect with each other and crystal-like structure forms. These crystals are known as Aragonite. The crystal formed from this method naturally has a pure form of calcium carbonate.


Characteristics of Aragonite Mineral
1.       Aragonite is unique in nature, oolitic shaped, smooth and colourless.
2.       It is unstable at normal temperature because of its negative zeta potential.
3.       The calcite mineral can also be formed from this Aragonite. Since it is unstable, it modifies into calcite within 107 to 108 years.
4.       It is dust-free, non-toxic and easy to handle.
5.       It is a mixture of nearly 100% calcium carbonate and small traced of other elements.
6.       It is 35% more soluble than calcite with pH value ranges from 5 to 7.

Industrial Uses
The purity of the mineral, pH level, solubility, zeta potential and unique properties creates a competitive advantage in various industries. In agricultural industries, the soil with a low pH level gets the immediate benefit of this aragonite. It instantly increases the pH level and makes the soil more stable to get the best result. In marine industries, it is used for replication of coral reefs and also to repel bacteria and viruses. In energy industries, it helps to increase the removal efficiency of SO2 and as a pollutant removal.

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