XPS analysis of calcium carbonate

In the framework of a project aiming to remove toxic elements from polluted waters, marble scraps deriving from the quarrying, cutting and processing of marble blocks are used as “sorbents” for removing transition metal ions.  The mechanism for removing toxic elements involves the precipitation of carbonate-bearing phases on the surface of the microfine dust. Therefore, it is essential to perform a thorough surface characterization of CaCO₃ using XPS. This work is carried out aiming to obtain high-quality reference spectra to assist in fitting the spectra of the powders following the contact with model solutions containing toxic elements as lead, cadmium, zinc, nickel. 

The core-level spectra of Sardinian limestone powders from Orosei marble district and from Carrara marble obtained by cutting the rocks are presented together with a just fractured crystal from Orosei quarry and compared with the commercial calcite and the literature. The current spectra may provide a foundation for identifying the phases that precipitate in the presence of toxic ions when the scrapes are used for environmental and water remediation.

Publication: E. Tuveri, D. Biggio, S. Liscia, M. Fantauzzi, B. Elsener, G. Ennas, G. E. Porcedda, N. Careddu, A. Rossi, Sardinian Limestone and Carrara Marble by XPS, Surface Science Spectra 32 (2025) 014010, doi:10.1116/6.0004546