Importance

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Abstract

Methods are disclosed in which first and second reactant salts and, optionally, a complexing agent are added to a non-aqueous reaction solvent to form a reaction system. The reactant salts, which are substantially soluble and reactive with each other in water to form a first crystallite of calcium carbonate, are present in the reaction solvent in relative amounts that are sufficient to form a desired amount of the calcium carbonate in the reaction system. The complexing agent, if present, is a crown ether or other cyclic or acyclic polydentate chelating agent that, in the reaction solvent, forms chelation complexes with at least one of the reactant salts. Reaction of the first and second reactant salts in the reaction solvent forms a second crystallite precipitate comprising crystals of calcium carbonate having a different habit or morphology from calcium carbonate crystals in the first crystallite that would otherwise be formable in water by reaction of similar amounts of the first and second reactant salts.

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First Claim