The use and performance evaluation of calcites from Niğde Hıdırlık and Uluağaç regions in plastic industry according to their mineralogical and geochemical properties

Calcite is an industrial mineral with a vitreous luster, colorless, hardness of 3 on the Moh's scale, and a density of around 2,6-2,7 g/cm3, found in crystalline forms in different shapes. Calcite is a cheap filler material that is used as much as possible due to the properties it provides in many industrial areas such as paint, paper, plastic, etc. after being ground into micronized sizes (Uçurum, 2014). Calcite, which is frequently encountered in every industrial branch we can think of, has become the center of attention in this sense due to both its high reserves and easy accessibility, and the cheap production of different products at low costs. This study aims to examine the mineralogical-petrographic and geochemical properties of calcite extracted in the Niğde region and to make evaluations regarding its use in the plastic sector, to investigate the gains and complaints of the plastic sector enterprises using calcite as a filler material in the region, and to ensure that it becomes a reference study that will contribute to the plastic industry. Within the scope of this study, after the mineralogical and geochemical analyses are carried out, the filling ratio (percentage) according to the properties of calcite, working parameters and machine temperature values, machine performance values, and the properties of the composite as the final product and its compliance with the standards are revealed. Keywords: Calcite, color, analysis, grain size, surface area, zeta potential