The Role of Chemistry in History

The Role of Chemistry in History header image 2

Industrial Development

April 28th, 2008 · No Comments ·

Introduction to ConcreteAnalysis of CaCO3 | Concrete Affects History | Industrial Development | Calcium Carbonate Accomplishments | Damage | History Affects CaCO3: Future of Concrete

Calcium Carbonate has shaped history by establishing a World-Wide Economic Industry 

  • The past half-decade saw a global expansion of 633 million tons.Š
    • Almost 70%, or 440 million tons of this comes from East Asia alone.
    • 76 million tons come from other Asian countries.
    • 7 million tons from Central and South America
    • 44 million tons from Africa/Middle East
    • 48 million tons from Europe
    • 20 million tons from North America.

 200639145445386.jpgA Chinese International Cement Industry Exhibition

Cement trade

  • The world cement trade has risen almost continuously over the past 35 years, advancing from 20 million tons in 1970, to 71 million tons by 1990, and to 155 million tons last year. 
  • Current cement consumption closely mirrors that of production, emphacizing the relatively low level of international cement trade volumes relative to world demand. (Good thing we won’t be running out of it anytime soon.)

Hawaii’s Volcanic Ash

The Hawaiian Islands have been coveted and industrialized for its supplies of volcanic ash. The ash is an important aggregate mixture with the CaCO3 limestone in certain mixtures. This has brough much wealth to the tiny state, and although the pulvurization of the islands has harmful environmental effects, the concrete industry gives it something else to export besides sugarcane.

Staple of Modern Construction

The versitility, strength, and overall availablility of Calcium Carbonate and other earthly compounds make concrete the most widely used building material all around the world. Take a look around you, and see just how much of where you live, work, and play is dictated by the use of concrete to suspend you, your car, and everything else. Truely, CaCO3 has had a profound effect on our world, our industries, and how we have come to know them today.

nsc-1712.jpg  paramount.jpg

(above, left: The New Rector Science Complex, under construction on the Dickinson College campus, using an internal concrete support structure, Carlisle, PA.) circ. 2007

(above, right: The Tallest Precast Concrete Building West of the Mississippi, The Paramount Building is Topped Off in San Francisco, CA. It was one of the first to employ methods that Dickinson is doing right now.) circ. 2001

Specific Industrial Uses of Calcium Carbonate

  • Additive to calcium supplement health tablets and anacids.
  • Additive to liquid products to create a paste, such as in toothpaste.
  • Ingredient in babies’ diapers to create its microporous film lining.
  • Pure CaCO3 can be marketed as blackboard/sidewalk chalk.
  • Used as a food additive in calcium shakes, soy milk, and baby formula.
  • MAKING POKER CHIPS!!! YAY FOR CACO3 GAMBLING!!!

http://www.cementchina.net/news/shownews.asp?id=1570

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NSY/is_6_24/ai_n16497840

www.dickinson.edu/…/august/images/NSC-1712.jpg

http://www.lehighsw.com/projects/proj.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_carbonate

Tags: Calcium Carbonate