What is Gypsum Plaster?

The word gypsum came from the Greek word gypsos which suggests ‘chalk’ or ‘plaster’. The gypsum found within the quarries of the Montmartre district of Paris was processed and brunt gypsum used for various purposes, which earned hemihydrate gypsum the name of plaster of Paris.

The gypsum may be a very soft mineral composed of calcium sulphate dihydrate (CaSO4.2H2O) and, it’s often found in nature as flattened and sometimes twinned crystals and transparent cleavable masses are referred to as selenite. it’s very chalk-like and lightweight in weight.

Gypsum has five verities mainly called Alabaster, Selenite, Satinspar, Gypsite, and Rock gypsum. Out of those only two, Rock gypsum and Alabaster are of the foremost significant from an economic point of view and are most generally mined and used. But all types are chemically alike and exhibit an equivalent properties.

Gypsum as a construction material is employed within the built environment as rock ashlars or mortars from prehistoric times.

It is a very useful processed material immediately . it’s commonly known for being a cloth that’s widely utilized in building construction.

Gyspum Plaster may be a protective and ornamental coating of walls inside and out of doors of buildings. Also wont to coat ceilings and for molding and casting decorative elements in buildings and structures.

The plaster is produced as a dry powder and is mixed with water to make a stiff but workable paste immediately before it’s applied to the surface, where it then sets and hardens.

Also Read: What is Gypsum Board & Its Application in Construction