Gypsum

Chemically known as “calcium sulfate dihydrate,”  contains calcium, sulfur bound to oxygen, and water. It is an abundant mineral and takes forms including alabaster—a material used in decoration and construction as far back as ancient Egypt. The White Sands National Monument in New Mexico is the world’s largest  dunefield.

Two Types of Gypsum: Natural and FGD

Natural , occurs in sedimentary rock formations, and is found in over 85 countries. The United States, Canada and Mexico have some of the largest reserves of high-quality of this product. It is mined in 17 states. Iowa, Texas, Utah, and New Mexico are particularly important producers.

One hundred pounds of its rock contains approximately 21 pounds (or 10 quarts) of chemically combined water. The rock is mined or quarried, crushed and ground into a fine powder.  In a process called calcining, the powder is heating to approximately 350 degrees F, driving off three fourths of the chemically combined water. The calcined , or hemihydrate, becomes the base for plaster, its board and other gypsum products.

Flue-Gas Desulfurization (FGD)  has been used to manufacture its board for more than 30 years.  A by-product of desulfurization of flue gas from the stacks of fossil-fueled power plants, emissions captured from smoke stacks can be purified into a hard substance and manufactured into it. Today, almost half of all gypsum used in the United States is FGD. Natural one and FGD have the same chemical composition, they are calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4·2H2O). FGD gypsum production and sales encourages power producers to capture “waste” for reuse, rather than merely storing it.

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