Calcium Carbonate occurs as an odorless and tasteless white powder or crystals.
Nonproprietary Names
- BP: Calcium Carbonate
- JP: Precipitated Calcium Carbonate
- PhEur: Calcium Carbonate
- USP: Calcium Carbonate
Calcii carbonas; calcium carbonate (1 : 1); carbonic acid calcium salt (1 : 1); creta preparada; Destab; E170; MagGran CC; Micromite; Pharma-Carb; precipitated carbonate of lime; precipitated chalk; Vitagran; Vivapress Ca; Witcarb.
Chemical Name and CAS Registry Number
Carbonic acid, calcium salt (1: 1) [471-34-1]
Empirical Formula and Molecular Weight
CaCO3 100.09
Functional Category
Buffering agent; coating agent; colorant; opacifier; tablet binder; tablet and capsule diluent; therapeutic agent.
Applications in Pharmaceutical Formulation or Technology
Calcium carbonate, employed as a pharmaceutical excipient, is mainly used in solid-dosage forms as a diluent. It is also used as a base for medicated dental preparations, as a buffering agent, and as a dissolution aid in dispersible tablets. Calcium carbonate is used as a bulking agent in tablet sugar-coating processes and as an opacifier in tablet film-coating. Calcium carbonate is also used as a food additive and therapeutically as an antacid and calcium supplement.
Method of Manufacture
Calcium carbonate is prepared by double decomposition of calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate in aqueous solution. Density and fineness are governed by the concentrations of the solutions. Calcium carbonate is also obtained from the naturally occurring minerals aragonite, calcite, and vaterite.
