01-Dec-2020 | Market Research Store
A new sponge using calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which is generally found in chalk, marble,limestone,and the shells of mussels & other shellfish, has been developed by a team from Memorial University Newfoundland. Generally, majority of the calcium carbonate are hard minerals but the new form is absorbent and soft. In the journal Matter, the researchers, reported their exploration of leftover mussel shells for new application. In addition some of the locals working in the aquaculture industry in Canada decided to produce more waste of mussels to develop new forms of calcium carbonate.
According to researcher Francesca Kerton, the use of natural materials such as food waste products instead of reverting to mining and drilling for minerals is a suitable option. In order to meet up to the various industrial applications of calcium carbonate, the team developed a new spongy material which is less corrosive for further use in roads and vehicles. Interestingly, the researchers developed a white spongy material after keeping mixture of acetic acid and mussel shells overnight. Furthermore, the X-ray diffraction helped researchers understand that it was calcite. This new way of forming calcite helped researchers test it for absorption of oils and dyes for further use in cleaning up marine pollution.
The researchers are now trying to produce it on a large scale for cleaning projects.The idea of using materials of organism that grow in the sea for cleaning polluted water is a very interesting fact. The absorption of oil and other materials using the novel spongy material is a cost-effective and exciting application that can be tested up to its limits. Thus, the researchers hope the future of the new form of calcium carbonate is promising owing to its application in the biomedical world as well. The researchers plan to use it for absorption of drug or active pharmaceutical components or acids in the body.
Market Research Store has published a report on global calcium carbonate market. The report covers the qualitative and quantitative concepts such as market dynamics and statistics.