What is the properties of the calcium carbonate?
Calcium Carbonate shares the typical properties of other carbonates. Notably: – It reacts with strong acids, releasing ‘carbon dioxide’: – CaCO3(s) + 2HCl(aq) → CaCl2(aq) + CO2(g) + H2O(l). It releases carbon dioxide on heating (to above 840 °C in the case of CaCO3), to form calcium oxide, commonly called quicklime, with a reaction enthalpy of 178 kJ / mole: – CaCO3 → CaO + CO2. Calcium carbonate will react with water that is saturated with carbon dioxide to form the soluble calcium bicarbonate – CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O → Ca(HCO3)2. This last reaction is important in the erosion of carbonate rocks, forming caverns, and leads to ‘hard water’ in many regions.
