Preliminary Study on the Preparation of Conductive Nanosized Calcium Carbonate Utilizing Biogas Slurry by a Synchronous Double Decomposition Coating Method

Abstract

Nanosized calcium carbonate (NCC) plays a vital role in the rubber and plastic fields as a filler, but it cannot resolve the electrostatic problem. Humic-acid-based NCC (HA-NCC) was accidentally discovered in the reaction between biogas slurry and calcium chloride (CaCl2), based on nutrient recovery and gradient treatment technology to solve the biogas slurry problem. A preliminary study on the preparation of conductive nanosized calcium carbonate (CNCC) from the HA-NCC was implemented. Meanwhile, a synchronous double decomposition coating method was proposed to properly explain the formation of HA-NCC in the biogas slurry. The CNCC was further obtained through drying and carbonizing the HA-NCC sample. The morphology of CNCC was a square shape with aggregation, and its crystals were calcite. The C content of CNCC was 5% higher than that of the normal CaCO3, implying a synchronous coating effect of soluble HA in biogas slurry on NCC. The weight loss of CNCC was about 2.5% at 630 °C, explaining why the HA-NCC remained black at 550 °C for 4 h. The CNCC was partly ordered and graphitized. The resistivity of the CNCC reached 2.62 × 106 Ω·cm. It could be used as a conductive powder. In view of the favorable characteristics described above, CNCC would be expected to be a filler and antistatic agent for plastics and rubbers to enhance the tensile and bending resistance of polymer materials, while eliminating electrostatic hazards. The results are also of great significance for developing high-end products to realize resource utilization of biogas slurry.