Abstract: The calcium carbonate is prepared by:(a) slaking quicklime in an aqueous medium;(b) carbonating and neutralizing the suspension of slaked lime formed in step (a) using a gas comprising carbon dioxide; and(c) separating the precipitated calcium carbonate formed in step (b) from the aqueous medium in which it is suspended. There is added 0.01% to 15% by weight, based on the weight of dry calcium oxide, of a reagent having one or more active hydrogen atoms (or a salt thereof), to the aqueous medium in which the quicklime is slaked in step (a).The reagent is selected from the group consisting of triethanolamine, mannitol, diethanolamine, bicine, morpholine, tri-isopropanolamine, N-ethyl diethanolamine, N,N-diethylethanolamine and sodium boroheptonate.