Characterizations of El Minia limestone for manufacturing paper filler and coating

This study introduces a contribution of using the El Minia carbonate filler pigment for paper making. El Minia limestone samples were grind to very fine powder ranging from 2 to 10 μm, for utilization in paper filler/coating industry, with using testing techniques; X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The limestone assessment includes more examinations to confirm the suitability of studied samples for alkaline paper manufacture such as, chemical analysis and physical properties, brightness, refractive index, oil & water absorption, moisture content, water soluble, surface area and soundness tests as per paper industry standards. Keywords: Calcium carbonate, Paper filler, El Minia, Inorganic pigmen