2.3. Treatment of MDBTF with Calcium Carbonate Coated with 5% (w/w) Stearic Acid

The MDBTF (15.0 g) were placed in 150 mL of boiling water for 30 min, and the mixture was allowed to cool to approximately 50 °C before being blended with 7.5 g of 5% (w/w) stearic-acid-coated calcium carbonate (courtesy of a local company, Usrah Jaya Enterprise, Penang, Malaysia, Registration No.: PG0052561-X) for 5–10 min. The composites, herein referred to as SACCMDBTF, were isolated and placed in an oven at 110 °C until a constant weight was obtained. To prevent the aggregation of calcium carbonate particles in water, high temperature was maintained.