what are egg shells made of
Egg shells are made mostly of the mineral calcium carbonate, with a small but important mix of other minerals and proteins.
Main ingredients (quick breakdown)
- About 94ā97% of an eggshell is calcium carbonate (the same mineral found in limestone and chalk).
- The remaining few percent is a mix of:
- Proteins that form a structural matrix and control how the minerals crystallize.
* Small amounts of magnesium carbonate and calcium phosphate.
* Other organic matter and trace minerals like phosphorus, sulfur, and tiny amounts of metals such as copper, iron, manganese, zinc, and others.
How it all fits together
Inside the shell, proteins form a kind of scaffold that the calcium carbonate crystals grow on.
This proteināmineral combo is what makes the shell hard enough to protect the chick, but still thin and brittle enough for it to break out when itās ready to hatch.
In simple terms: an eggshell is a thin, mineral ārockā of calcium carbonate reinforced with a tiny amount of proteins and other minerals that fineātune its strength and structure.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
