Gypsum

Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dehydrate, with the chemical
formula CaSO4·2H2O, in addition to impurities with deferent ratios. It is used as a building
binder or wall plaster and for sculpture works.

Manufacturing: Gypsum rock crushed, and ground into a fine powder. In a process called
calcining, the natural gypsum is heated in air to approximately 170 Co it loses chemically
combined water and converts first to calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CaSO4·1/2H2O) called plaster
(gypsum or guss). The plaster in general contains impurities as clay, magnesium carbonite, and
calcium carbonite.
The type and nature of the plaster depend on:
* The purity of the raw mineral.
* Heating temperature.
* Adding materials after calcination ‫ تكليس‬to expelling the combined water ‫ طرد ماء التبلور‬to
increase or reduce the setting time.
* The degree of grinding.

Classification:
 Normal gypsum
 Borax
 Gypsum plaster
Uses: normal gypsum is used as building binder mortar for rock and brick masonry walls over
the ground level and in other countries for internal gypsum plaster as heat or sound insulations or
as precast plats.
According to IQS No. 28 – 1988, the required tests for normal gypsum are:
Tests Sampling
 Physical requirements 1. Sample weight must not be less than 6 kg
- Fineness degree taken from 3 different places if the batch
- Setting time quantity is less than 2 tons.
- Compressive strength 2. Sample weight must not be less than 8 kg
- Flexural modulus taken from 10 different places if the batch
 Chemical requirements quantity is 2-10 tons.
- Trioxide sulfate 3. Sample weight must not be less than 12 kg
- Total soluble salts taken from 16 different places if the batch
- Ignition loss is more than 10 tons.
- Combined water ratio

1
Table 2: physical requirements.
Property normal borax Gypsum plaster
gypsum
1 fineness, %, the remaining on
sieve No. 16 not more than 8 zero 5
2 Setting time, min.,
not less than 8 8 12
not more than 25 25 20
3 compressive strength, N/mm2,
not less than 3 5 6
4 modulus of rupture, N/mm2,
not less than - 1.5 2
5 stiffness strength, mm,
broken diameter from falling ball - 5 5