18/09/2026
ChE Fact #4!
๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฝ ๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฎ ๐ช๐ท๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ท๐ฝ ๐๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ผ ๐ต๐ช๐ผ๐ฝ? ๐ท๐ณ๐จ๐บ๐ป๐ฌ๐น!
Before modern construction materials, ancient Egyptians were already utilizing ๐ด๐๐ฝ๐๐๐บ and transformed it into plaster through a process known today as ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
During calcination, Gypsum (CaSOโยท2HโO) is heated to remove part of its chemically bound water, producing Plaster of Paris or plaster (CaSOโยท0.5HโO). When water is added back, the plaster ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ต๐๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐, ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐. ๐ชจ
In ancient Egypt, gypsum-based plaster was used to ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐บ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ and prepare surfaces for ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด, including those found in tombs and temples. ๐๏ธ๐ชฆ
Today, gypsum processing follows the same basic principle but with ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ด๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป on an industrial scale. Processed gypsum is widely used in ๐ด๐๐ฝ๐๐๐บ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐, ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐.
Sources: The Chemical Engineer, McLanahan