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Gypsum Powder
Uses for Gypsum
Powder
By A.P. Mentzer
Gypsum
powder is a natural product found in deposits throughout the United States.
It
begins as a soft, white mineral rock and is processed to make a dry powder.
Naturally
occurring gypsum is composed of calcium, sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen.
Gypsum
powder is mainly used in building materials such as drywall, but it is also
useful in agriculture as a soil fertilizer and conditioner.
Gypsum
can be also be used as a food additive to enhance the texture of ingredients in
processed foods.
Gypsum
Chemical Formula
Gypsum
is the common name for the mineral calcium sulfate, which has a chemical
formula CaSO4.
Gypsum
bonds easily with water and is usually found in its natural state as hydrated
calcium sulfate, with a chemical formula of CaSO4.2H20.
Gypsum
is a soft mineral that usually appears white or gray and is composed of
translucent crystals.
Gypsum
deposits are found as sediment in areas that were once covered by water.
When
rock gypsum is heated, it releases the water molecules bonded to it, and the
resulting product is anhydrous gypsum, a dry powder.
Building
Materials: Ancient and Modern
The
most common uses of gypsum powder are in building materials.
Gypsum
has been used for centuries to decorative elements for buildings.
Pure
white rock gypsum is also known as alabaster and has been used to make carved
statues and sculptures.
The
ancient Greeks used translucent gypsum crystals to make windows.
Gypsum
powder mixed with water makes plaster of Paris, a molding material used to make
ornate fixtures to adorn buildings as well as a coating for walls.
Ancient
builders also used gypsum to enhance pigments used to paint structures.
Nearly
all modern homes and buildings use gypsum in the form of wall board, also known
as gypsum board, drywall or sheet rock.
American
homes typically contain tons of gypsum in the form of drywall. It is attached
to wooden framing to make walls and ceilings.
Gypsum
powder mixed with water becomes hardened and rock-like when dried. The hardened
gypsum is pressed between sheets of paper to form slabs of drywall.
Drywall
makes an inexpensive building material that can easily be cut to size. It
provides a sound barrier and is resistant to fire.
Gypsum
powder is also added to cement and paints used in building construction and
finishing.
In
cement and concrete mixes, gypsum helps to increase the time it takes for
concrete and cement to dry and harden, resulting in a more stable structure.
In
paint, gypsum powder is used a filler to adhere to the pigments and improve the
paint’s texture.
Soil
Conditioning and Fertilizing
Gypsum
powder is used in agriculture as a soil conditioner and fertilizer. Applying it
to soil as a fertilizer contributes calcium and sulfur, two nutrients used by
plants.
Gypsum
powder is especially beneficial to corn and soybeans, which need a lot of
sulfate in the soil to thrive.
The
affinity gypsum mineral has for water molecules increases soil’s ability to
hold water when the gypsum is worked into the soil because the positively
charged calcium ions (Ca2+) in gypsum displace the positively charged sodium
ions (Na+) present in the soil.
FDA-Approved
Food Additive
Because
gypsum is considered generally safe for humans, it can be used in small amounts
in food and beverage production.
In
the food industry, gypsum may be used as an anti-caking agent, drying agent,
dough-strengthener, firming agent, color enhancer, stabilizer and thickener.
Food
products that may be made with gypsum include baked goods, frosting, candies,
ice cream and other frozen dairy products, puddings, gelatins and pasta.
Gypsum
powder is also a non-active ingredient in toothpaste.
A.P. Mentzer graduated from Rutgers University with degrees in
Anthropology and Biological Sciences. She worked as a researcher and analyst in
the biotech industry and a science editor for an educational publishing company
prior to her career as a freelance writer and editor. Alissa enjoys writing
about life science and medical topics, as well as science activities for
children
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