The Economics of Ground Calcium Carbonate, 3rd edition 2008

World capacity for ground calcium carbonate (GCC) has grown by nearly 7%py since 2002 to reach 71.7Mt in 2007, of which at least 56Mt was fine ground GCC for use as a filler in paper, plastics and paint. Much of the growth in capacity has been devoted to producing grades of GCC for paper coating. Ten companies control 68% of capacity, including Omya (35%) and Imerys (13%), but the dominance of these multinationals is being challenged as an increasing number of paper companies, particularly in China, set up satellite GCC plants.

GCC plants have traditionally been sited close to the source of limestone, marble or chalk, but rising demand for high brightness GCC has resulted in growing trade in high brightness marble chips to processing plants in countries such as Japan and Brazil. Good quality marble has the advantage that it minimises processing costs, eliminating flotation.

Paper accounts for around 38% of world demand; however, there are considerable regional variations, largely driven by local availability of high brightness marble or limestone. The use of GCC in paper filing and coating was developed in Europe where abundant raw materials favoured its use against competing minerals such as kaolin. In North America, use of GCC is growing but papermakers still use significant quantities of kaolin and PCC. In China, many new paper mills are using high brightness wood-free pulp, which, in turn, requires a high brightness pigment such as GCC.

Plastics account for a further 20% of demand, which is largely concentrated in Asia. The use of GCC in polyolefins for breathable films for diapers has provided a growth opportunity in Europe and North America.

Opportunities for further growth in the use of GCC in established markets such as western Europe will depend on the potential for substituting for kaolin in paper coating formulations. Overall, Roskill forecasts that consumption will reach at least 87Mt by 2012 with the main focus of growth in China, India and Brazil. China is expected to overtake the USA as the world's largest producer of paper and board by 2015.