What is limestone powder? Applications of limestone powder

August 14,2025
Author : gobranding
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What is limestone powder?

This is a common question when referring to one of the essential mineral materials that are widely used in various industries today. Limestone powder, also known as calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), is produced by finely grinding natural limestone. It features a bright white color, high purity, and reasonable cost. Thanks to these outstanding advantages, limestone powder has become increasingly popular in many fields such as plastic manufacturing, paint production, papermaking, ceramics, agriculture, animal feed, and environmental treatment.

What is limestone powder?

Limestone powder is a type of material produced through the process of finely grinding natural stones, most commonly limestone, which mainly consists of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃).
Thanks to its stable chemical properties and cost-effectiveness, limestone powder is widely used in various fields such as construction, fertilizer production, livestock farming, aquaculture, as well as in many industries including paper, paint, glass, and others.
Bột đá ứng dụng rộng rãi trong xây dựng, công nghiệp và nông nghiệp
Limestone powder is widely used in construction, industry, and agriculture.

Classification by Color

After learning what limestone powder is, let's explore the different types of limestone powder. Currently, there are many types of stone powder on the market to meet the diverse needs of consumers. These products are classified according to color, chemical composition, and fineness:
Các loại bột đá vôi phổ biến hiện nay
Popular types of limestone powder today
Classification by color
Based on its natural color, limestone powder is generally divided into three main types:

  • White limestone powder

  • Gray limestone powder

  • Black limestone powder
Classification by Chemical Composition
Based on the calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) content, limestone powder is divided into two main groups:

  • Low CaCO₃ content powder: contains approximately 93% – 95% calcium carbonate

  • High CaCO₃ content powder: contains approximately 97% – 98% calcium carbonate

Classification by Fineness
Depending on particle size, limestone powder can be classified into the following types:

  • Coarse grade: particle size around 120 – 150 µm

  • Fine grade: particle size around 90 – 120 µm

  • Ultra-fine grade: particle size around 65 – 75 µm

In addition to the common fineness levels mentioned above, customers can also request customized particle sizes to suit their specific applications.
Read more >>
What type is construction limestone? What are its applications?
What is ultra-fine limestone powder used for?

Applications of Limestone Powder in Daily Life and Production

The question “What is limestone powder used for?” is quite common when referring to one of the minerals that are widely used in many industries today.Depending on its characteristics and processing level, limestone powder (CaCO₃) is widely applied in plastic, paint, paper, ceramic, rubber, agriculture, aquaculture, and environmental treatment industries.

In the Plastic Manufacturing Industry

In the plastic processing industry, besides synthetic resins that serve as the main material, calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) is considered one of the most important additives.Thanks to its natural origin, environmental friendliness, low cost, and high whiteness, CaCO₃ is widely used to:

  • Improve production efficiency

  • Reduce product cost
  • Increase hardness and mechanical strength
  • Enhance whiteness and surface gloss
  • Support surface treatment, making products smoother and more consistent
  • Contribute to environmental protection by improving the biodegradability of degradable plastic products.
The combination of outstanding technical properties and cost-effectiveness has made calcium carbonate CaCO₃ an indispensable choice in modern plastic production.
Bột đá vôi trong ngành sản xuất nhựa
Limestone powder in the plastics industry

Application in Paint Production

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) is the primary filler used in the coating and paint industry, especially in water-based paints.Thanks to its excellent physical and chemical properties, CaCO₃ helps significantly improve the performance and quality of paint products.
Bột đá vôi trong sản xuất sơn
Limestone powder in paint production
Typical Paint Product Categories:
  • Premium Water-Based Paints for Residential Use: NSS 500, NSS 800, NSS 1000
  • Economic Water-Based Paints for Residential Use: NSS 1500, NSS 2000, NSS 2500, NSS 3000
  • Traffic Paints: NSS 45R, NSS 60
  • Granite-Effect Paints: NSS 45R, NSS 60
  • Wall Putty: NSS 45R
Key Roles of Calcium Carbonate in Paints:
  • Enhances coverage and opacity thanks to its fine particle size and optimal particle size distribution.
  • Improves brightness and dispersion, ensuring uniform and attractive paint colors.
  • Reduces oil absorption, helping save binders and additives.
  • Improves viscosity, increasing workability and adhesion.
  • Provides high durability and excellent corrosion resistance in various environments.
  • Contains low impurities, ensuring stability and balanced pH levels
In water-based paint production, CaCO₃ can account for up to 60% of the total raw materials.It not only helps optimize production costs but also contributes to enhancing optical quality and paint weight, effectively meeting technical requirements in application and actual use.

Application of Limestone Powder in Ceramic Production

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) plays an important role in ceramic production, as it not only helps improve the properties of raw materials but also enhances the quality of the final products.Specifically, CaCO₃ is used to
  • Acts as a fluxing agent: helps reduce firing temperature and save energy during the production process.
  • Increases whiteness and brightness: contributes to creating a smooth, glossy, and attractive ceramic surface.
  • Stabilizes structure and enhances mechanical strength: makes products harder and more resistant to cracking during firing.
  • Improves heat resistance and glaze smoothness: enhances the coating quality, ensuring a uniform and shiny glaze layer.
With its excellent physical and chemical properties and reasonable cost, calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) has become an essential component in modern ceramic production formulas

Application of Limestone Powder in Paper Production 

Typical Product Categories:
  • Writing Paper: NSS 500, NSS 800, NSS 1000
  • Toilet Paper and Kraft Paper: NSS 3000, NSS 45R
For a long time, minerals have been used as fillers in paper production, with kaolin and clay being the traditional materials.However, these minerals are relatively expensive. In contrast, calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) — a naturally abundant mineral — not only offers lower cost, but also provides superior whiteness, helping to shift the paper production process from an acidic to an alkaline environment, which is highly beneficial for paper quality and equipment durability
Bột đá vôi trong sản xuất giấy
Limestone powder in paper production
The Role of CaCO₃ in the Paper Industry
  • Main filler and coating material: Enhances opacity, gloss, and printing sharpness.
  • Improves production efficiency: Allows a reduction in wood pulp usage while maintaining mechanical strength.
  • Optimizes the process: Enables high-speed machine operation, shortens drying time, and saves energy.
  • Enhances surface quality: A CaCO₃ coating creates a smooth, uniform surface that supports sharper printing results.
With its outstanding economic and technical advantages, calcium carbonate has become an essential raw material in modern paper manufacturing, helping to improve product quality and increase overall production efficiency.

Application in Rubber Production

Selecting the right type of calcium carbonate, especially through careful control of the top cut value the maximum particle size allows manufacturers to increase the filler ratio while still maintaining final product quality and stable production performance.This brings significant economic benefits by reducing raw material costs.

In the Rubber Industry:
Calcium carbonate CaCO₃ is widely used in various rubber products, offering several key benefits such as:
  • Increasing hardness and abrasion resistance
  • Improving whiteness and mechanical strength
  • Typical applications include: flexible R.P. hoses, shoe soles, tire belts, mats, conveyor belts, floor tiles, and rubber straps.

Application of Limestone Powder in Agriculture

Calcium carbonate CaCO₃ powder is widely used in agriculture due to its ability to improve soil quality, supply minerals, and stabilize farming environments.
  • Soil improvement: Neutralizes soil acidity, raises pH levels, and helps plants absorb nutrients more effectively.
  • Fertilizer and animal feed: Serves as a filler and calcium supplement for crops and livestock, enhancing productivity.
  • Aquaculture: Stabilizes pond pH, reduces water turbidity, and creates an ideal living environment for fish and shrimp.
  • High economic efficiency: Low cost, easy to use, and environmentally friendly.

Glass Manufacturing

Calcium carbonate CaCO₃ is one of the main raw materials used in glass production.When heated at high temperatures, CaCO₃ decomposes into calcium oxide CaO, a key component that helps stabilize the structure and increase the mechanical strength of the glass.
Bột đá vôi trong sản xuất thủy tinh
Limestone powder in glass production
The Role of CaCO₃ in Glass Production:
  • Reduces melting temperature, saving energy during the melting process.
  • Enhances transparency and strength of glass products.
  • Stabilizes the chemical structure, minimizing cracking or deformation after cooling.
  • Lowers production costs thanks to its abundant supply and low material price.

Animal Feed

Calcium carbonate CaCO₃ is an important source of calcium minerals used in the production of feed for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture.
Main roles:
  • Provides calcium to support bone and teeth development, helping animals stay strong and healthy.
  • Enhances reproduction, especially in poultry, by improving eggshell quality.
  • Balances nutrition, supports metabolism, and promotes growth.
  • Low cost and easy to mix in industrial feed formulations.

Environmental Treatment

Calcium carbonate CaCO₃ is widely used in various environmental treatment solutions thanks to its strong neutralizing and absorbing properties.
Main roles:
  • Neutralizes acidic environments: Stabilizes pH levels in industrial wastewater and aquaculture ponds.
  • Absorbs harmful gases: Reduces CO₂, SO₂, and other pollutants during gas treatment processes.
  • Water treatment: Lowers turbidity and removes impurities and heavy metals from domestic and industrial water sources.
  • Odor reduction: Used in the treatment of livestock waste and organic garbage.

Notes When Using Calcium Carbonate Powder

To ensure efficiency and safety when using calcium carbonate powder, the following factors should be considered:
  • Select the right type for your specific purpose:
    • Plastics, rubber, and paint industries: Choose grades with high whiteness, ultra-fine particle size, and stable top cut.
    • Agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture: Prefer types free from heavy metal impurities, ensuring safety for living organisms.
    • Environmental treatment: Use types with good pH neutralizing capacity and high solubility.
  • Quality Control and Safety Guidelines:
  •  Check the purity, CaCO₃ content, moisture level, fineness, and dispersion of the product.
  • Avoid using limestone powder containing impurities such as iron or magnesium, as these may affect the quality of the final product.
  • Proper Storage:
    • Keep the product dry and well-sealed, stored in a cool, ventilated area to prevent caking or quality degradation.
    • Avoid direct contact with strong acids, which can cause reactions and release CO₂ gas.
  • Workplace Safety:When handling large quantities of CaCO₃ powder, wear masks, gloves, and safety goggles to prevent inhaling dust that may irritate the respiratory system or eyes.

Trusted Source for High-Quality Calcium Carbonate Powder

If you are looking for a reliable and high-quality supplier of calcium carbonate CaCO₃ powder for industries such as plastics, paint, paper, ceramics, animal feed, agriculture, or environmental treatment, VN Apex is your top trusted choice.
VN Apex owns modern mining and production systems, operated by a team of experienced mineral experts. The company specializes in providing CaCO₃ powder with high whiteness, uniform fineness, and low impurity content, meeting the strict technical requirements of both domestic and international markets.
In addition to consistent product quality, VN Apex is highly recognized for its dedicated technical support, fast delivery, competitive pricing, and flexible cooperation policies. Depending on specific applications, customers can choose products with customized particle size, whiteness, and fineness, or request tailor-made specifications for their production needs.
Currently, VN Apex is a long-term partner of many domestic and international enterprises in industries such as plastics, rubber, paints, paper, construction materials, animal feed, and aquaculture.
From its diverse industrial applications to its vital role in agriculture and environmental protection, calcium carbonate has proven to be an essential raw material in modern manufacturing. Understanding its properties and proper usage helps businesses optimize costs, enhance product quality, and contribute to sustainable development.
 
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