Manufacturing Process
TUMS® is an antacid made of calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate in TUMS® antacid is obtained from limestone via a chemical process which produces a high degree of purity. Our calcium carbonate is 99.5% pure and does not contain bone meal or oyster shell. ("TUMS® FAQ" )
How is it made?
Raw Materials
Calcium carbonate is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world, and can be found in biological sources including shells of marine organisms, snails, coal balls, pearls, and eggshells.Eggshells, snail shells and most seashells are predominantly calcium carbonate and can be used as industrial sources of that chemical Oyster shells have also been recognized as a source of dietary calcium, but are also a practical industrial source. While not practical as an industrial source..("Calcium Carbonate." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 670-671. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.)
Calcium carbonate also occurs naturally as geological sources as a large variety of mineral forms most notably being limestone, marble, travertine, chalk, marble, travertine, and tufa. ("Cong Cal, McGraths Limestone Works-Our Process")
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Calcium carbonate also occurs naturally as geological sources as a large variety of mineral forms most notably being limestone, marble, travertine, chalk, marble, travertine, and tufa. ("Cong Cal, McGraths Limestone Works-Our Process")
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Resource Extraction
The vast majority of calcium carbonate used in industries are mainly extracted by mining or quarrying. Pure calcium carbonate (e.g. for food or pharmaceutical use), can be produced from a pure quarried source ("Cong Cal, McGraths Limestone Works-Our Process")
During extraction, marble containing the calcium carbonate is quarried in which the raw material is loaded into forty-ton trucks and hauled to processing plants where the material is “processed.” The process involves more than merely crushing the marble into dust instead,after a coarse grinding of the rock, mineral impurities are floated out of the slurry using a chemical flotation agent known as tall oil. The wash water and impurities are pumped outside the plant and into a series of unlined settling cells and former quarries.("shibang-china- Calcium Carbonate Mining")
During extraction, marble containing the calcium carbonate is quarried in which the raw material is loaded into forty-ton trucks and hauled to processing plants where the material is “processed.” The process involves more than merely crushing the marble into dust instead,after a coarse grinding of the rock, mineral impurities are floated out of the slurry using a chemical flotation agent known as tall oil. The wash water and impurities are pumped outside the plant and into a series of unlined settling cells and former quarries.("shibang-china- Calcium Carbonate Mining")
Materials Processing
Processing begins after the calcium carbonate is retrieved and checked for impurities. The specified aggregate is then transferred to the Calcium Carbonate plant, in which it is milled and graded to various granular. A metal detection test is also carried out to ensure no metal is present.("Cong Cal, McGraths Limestone Works-Our Process")
Limestone is converted into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide by means of calcification at temperatures in excess of 900°C. To ensure a high level of purity, the calcification process must be carried out by using natural gas. After the calcined lime has been slaked with water, the result lime is purified and carbonated with the carbon dioxide obtained from the calcification process. Following total carbonation, a suspension of CaCO3 results. A cake comprising 40% - 60% solid matter is then obtained by filtration. This is then dried and grinded.Depending on the chemical composition of the milk of lime used and on the purifying stages during production, both technical as well as foodstuff and pharmaceutical grades such as antacids can be produced.("Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Center-Manufacturing Process")
Every day, approximately 70 large bags of calcium carbonate and sugar, weighing in at about 2,000 pounds each, are delivered to the plant and are mixed in with starch and water. A compressor using nearly five tons of force smashes the mix to form tablets.
An air conveyer system sends a steady stream of bottles and caps from one floor in the building directly to the line where the pills are distributed.
From there, Tums are packed into boxes and sent to distribution facilities around the world.("Brown, Lisa. -Tums Still Rolling after 80 Years.")
Limestone is converted into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide by means of calcification at temperatures in excess of 900°C. To ensure a high level of purity, the calcification process must be carried out by using natural gas. After the calcined lime has been slaked with water, the result lime is purified and carbonated with the carbon dioxide obtained from the calcification process. Following total carbonation, a suspension of CaCO3 results. A cake comprising 40% - 60% solid matter is then obtained by filtration. This is then dried and grinded.Depending on the chemical composition of the milk of lime used and on the purifying stages during production, both technical as well as foodstuff and pharmaceutical grades such as antacids can be produced.("Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Center-Manufacturing Process")
Every day, approximately 70 large bags of calcium carbonate and sugar, weighing in at about 2,000 pounds each, are delivered to the plant and are mixed in with starch and water. A compressor using nearly five tons of force smashes the mix to form tablets.
An air conveyer system sends a steady stream of bottles and caps from one floor in the building directly to the line where the pills are distributed.
From there, Tums are packed into boxes and sent to distribution facilities around the world.("Brown, Lisa. -Tums Still Rolling after 80 Years.")
Packaging
The Tums packaging Previously topped by a snap-on cap that was removed by prying up on one side. The newer deign consists of a more consumer-friendly package employing a twist-off cap. It removes easily to reveal an oval-shaped foil membrane.The almost-finished design replaced the previous bottle material, resulting in a lighter bottle while maintaining the predecessor’s familiar silhouette. The injection-molded, high-density polyethylene cap was contoured to match the shape of the bottle.("Packaging World-Tums packages sealed with a twist").