Synthesis and character of super-hydrophobic CaCO3 powder in situ

In this paper, we present a novel and simple synthetic method for the preparation of super-hydrophobic lamellar vaterite. The crystallization of vaterite was conducted by the reaction of sodium carbonate with calcium chloride in the presence of oleic acid and heptadecafluorodecyl-trimethoxysilane (FAS-17). The resulting products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and contact angle measurements. The results revealed that oleic acid and FAS-17 play an important role in determining the structure and morphology of the sample. We also demonstrate in situ surface modification of the particles. The contact angle of the modified vaterite reached 152 degrees. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.