HIGH GLOSS CALCIUM CARBONATE COATING COMPOSITIONS AND COATEDPAPER AND PAPER BOARD MANUFACTURED FROM SAME

A paper coating pigment is provided which includes a blend of a first and a second discrete aragonitic precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) particles. The first particles of the blended pigment have an average particle size (APS) of about 0.4 microns and the second particles of the blended pigment have an average particle size (APS) of about 0.5 microns. The blended pigment preferably includes a weight ratio of about 50:50 to about 80:20 with a 60:40 weight ratio being most preferred, respectively, of the first 0.4 micron particles to the second 0.5 micron particles. Also provided are a method for preparing coated paper, which includes preparing the blended aragonitic PCC pigment, adding a binder, and applying the pigment to the paper basestock in a slurry containing a binder and or additives. Preferably, blended aragonitic precipitated calcium carbonate pigment is present in an amount of from about 30 weight percent to about 85 weight percent of the mixture with about 70 weight percent to about 15 weight percent balance being clay prior to preparing the slurry.