A simple method to obtain purified CaCO3 using fly ash as a raw material

In this work, the fly ash produced from the combustion of agave bagasse, which comprises mainly calcium oxide (CaO), was used to synthesize calcite at room temperature without the use of additives. The interaction between the CaO contained by the ash and H2O generates a primary phase of Ca(OH)2, then, the dissociation of Ca+ and the environmental CO2 dissolved in water produces a CaCO3 film at the interface of water and air. The process was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDX), showing the composition and chemical transformation of the ash up to the CaCO3 film formation.