Hydrophobic Modification and Characterization of Calcium Carbonate Nanopowders

Calcium carbonate nanopowder is an important engineering material used for various painting and polymer-based composite additive and filler. The hydrophobic modification on surface of calcium carbonate nanopowder was performed by using three silane coupling agents: i.e. 3-Aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES), 3-mercapto-propyl triethoxysilane (MPTES) and 3-ATRP trimethoxysilane (KH570). The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR) was used to confirm the surface chemical coupling variations. The contact angle meter was used to determine its hydrophobic property. After KH570 modification, the sample of nanopowder showed the best hydrophobic property with a contact angle of 107°. The findings are of significance to enhance nano-calcium carbonate dispersibility and compatibility in organic media.