CE 472 – ADVANCED MATERIALS OF

CONSTRUCTION

3 - Gypsum

Asst. Prof. Dr. Şevket Can Bostancı

 History
• In modern usage, however, we should distinguish between pure and
hydraulic ‘limes’ and gypsum-based plasters and the stronger, harder
‘cements’ that contain a greater proportion of siliceous materials. But until
the time of the Industrial Revolution, such a distinction would not have been
made.

• The city of Catal Hayuk, 9000BCE, where gypsum plaster was used as the
base for decorative frescos.

• Limestone was abundant in the Nile valley, but the fuel to achieve
temperatures of 850°C–1000°C required to burn it, was not. So largely for
that reason the ancient Egyptians used impure gypsum (CaSO4), which
formed a hemi-hydrate when burned at the lower temperatures that could
be achieved easily with small fires at about 170°C. The earliest Egyptian
cements then were essentially gypsum plasters.
• Plasters and cements based upon gypsum would
have had adequate strength, but, because they
would have been soluble in water, limited durability.
In the arid climate of Egypt, however, this was not a
disadvantage in practice and cements of this kind
were used successfully until the Roman period
 GYPSUM
• Rock formation in nature, CaSO4(2H2O).

• It is hydrous calcium sulfate with compounds of lime,

sulfur and water.
 Production of Gypsum
• Gypsum contains clay, limestone, silica, iron
compound, etc.

• In the pure state it is white, but combined with

impurities, it may be grey, brown, or reddish
brown.

• Some deposits are found close to the surface of

the earth; others well below the surface.

• A valuable building material for several thousand

years.
 CaSO4 79,1% CaO 32.5%
CaSO4(2H2O) SO3 46.6%
2H2O 20.9% H2O 20.9%

Where;
CaSO4 : Calcium sulfate
CaO : Lime
SO3 : Sulfur trioxide
H2O : Water
Natural deposits of gypsum rock are seldom pure.
Usual impurities: SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, CaCO3,
MgCO3, ….etc.
6
• A suitable gypsum rock must contain at least
70% CaSO4.2H2O (hydrous calcium sulfate).

• The obtained gypsum stones first are crushed

into 50-75 mm in diameter, then ground and
then calcined.

• During calcinations it drives off 75% of the

combined water under the temperature of
190oC.
 REACTION OF GYPSUM
• Reaction of gypsum:
(100-190)oC
• 1- CaSO4 . 2H2O ⇨ CaSO4 . ½H2O + 1½H2O (partial dehydration)
CaSO4 . ½H2O : Plaster of Paris (Hemihydrate)

• 2- CaSO4 . ½H2O ⇨ CaSO4 + 2H2O (complete dehydration)

T>190C
CaSO4 : Anhydrate (anhydrous gypsum)
 Hardening of Gypsum:

CaSO4 . ½H2O + 1½H2O -----→ CaSO4 . 2H2O

CaSO4 + 2H2O -----→ CaSO4 . 2H2O

Pure gypsum sets in about 10 minutes. Impure plasters set more slowly.

Retarders (maximum 2%):

Glue, saw dust, blood, organic substances, borax
and acetic acid.
Accelerators:
Common salt, alum, sodium

total 8 GYPSUM 9
 Plasticity
• To increase plasticity of gypsum plaster 15% hydrated
lime or less frequently 15% clay should be added.

• The compressive stress of gypsum is larger than

tensile stress.

• As the ratio of mixing (water / gypsum) increases, its

stress decreases.
 1.3 Properties of Gypsum
• Gypsum often serves as a fire proofing
material although its strength is destroyed by
continuous heat.
– Gypsum is an effective material in delaying the passing of
fire from a room to another.

• Gypsum plasters tend to disintegrate when

exposed to moisture.
– Therefore, they should not be used for exterior
work or moist interior location.
 The System CaO–Al2O3

• C3A is the most important of these phases in

Portland cements, heavily influencing the initial set
characteristics due to its rapid hydration, which
requires retardation, normally by gypsum addition.
Clinker Phases in Industrial Clinker
• The properties of the components of cement
clinker can be summarised as follows:
 EN 197 CEM I
• CEM I is ground cement clinker with a proportion of
a gypsum and anhydrite mix or an alternative sulfate
source (the amount limited by the SO3 content of
the cement) and is allowed to contain up to 5% of a
Minor Additional Constituent.
 References
• Lea, F.M. & Hewlett, P.C. (2003) Lea`s
Chemistry of Cement and Concrete

• Neville, A.M (2012) Properties of Concrete,

Fourth Ed., Prentice-Hall.

• Eren, O. (no date) Advanced Materials of

Construction Lecture notes.