5/31/2017 Gypsum ­ Wikipedia

Gypsum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate

dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O.[3] It is Gypsum
widely mined and is used as a fertilizer, and as the main
constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard chalk and
wallboard. A massive fine­grained white or lightly tinted variety
of gypsum, called alabaster, has been used for sculpture by
many cultures including Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Ancient
Rome, the Byzantine Empire and the Nottingham alabasters of
Medieval England. Mohs scale of mineral hardness, based on
scratch Hardness comparison, defines hardness value 2 as
gypsum. It forms as an evaporite mineral and as a hydration
product of anhydrite.

Selenite, a variety of gypsum

Contents General

1 Etymology and history Category Sulfate minerals

2 Physical properties Formula CaSO4·2H2O
3 Crystal varieties (repeating unit)
4 Occurrence
5 Mining Strunz 7.CD.40
6 Synthesis classification
7 Occupational safety Crystal Monoclinic
7.1 United States
system
8 Uses
9 Gallery Crystal class Prismatic (2/m)
10 See also H­M symbol: (2/m)
11 References
Space group Monoclinic
12 External links
Space group: I2/a
Unit cell a = 5.679(5), b = 15.202(14)
Etymology and history c = 6.522(6) [Å]; β = 118.43°;
Z=4
The word gypsum is derived from the Greek word γύψος Identification
(gypsos), "plaster".[4] Because the quarries of the Montmartre Color Colorless to white; may be yellow,
district of Paris have long furnished burnt gypsum (calcined tan, blue, pink, brown, reddish
gypsum) used for various purposes, this dehydrated gypsum brown or gray due to impurities
became known as plaster of Paris. Upon addition of water, after
a few tens of minutes plaster of Paris becomes regular gypsum Crystal habit Massive, flat. Elongated and
(dihydrate) again, causing the material to harden or "set" in generally prismatic crystals
ways that are useful for casting and construction. Twinning Very common on {110}

Gypsum was known in Old English as spærstān, "spear stone", Cleavage Perfect on {010}, distinct on {100}
referring to its crystalline projections. (Thus, the word spar in Fracture Conchoidal on {100}, splintery
mineralogy is by way of comparison to gypsum, referring to any parallel to [001]
non­ore mineral or crystal that forms in spearlike projections).
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Gypsum may act as a source of sulfur for plant growth, which Tenacity Flexible, inelastic
was discovered by J. M. Mayer, and in the early 19th century, it
Mohs scale 1.5–2 (defining mineral for 2)
was regarded as an almost miraculous fertilizer. American
farmers were so anxious to acquire it that a lively smuggling hardness
trade with Nova Scotia evolved, resulting in the so­called Luster Vitreous to silky, pearly, or waxy
"Plaster War" of 1820.[5] In the 19th century, it was also known Streak White
as lime sulfate or sulfate of lime.
Diaphaneity Transparent to translucent
Specific 2.31–2.33
Physical properties
gravity

Gypsum is moderately Optical Biaxial (+)

water­soluble (~2.0– properties
2.5 g/l at 25 °C)[6] and, Refractive nα = 1.519–1.521
in contrast to most other index nβ = 1.522–1.523
salts, it exhibits
retrograde solubility, nγ = 1.529–1.530
becoming less soluble at Birefringence δ = 0.010
higher temperatures.
When gypsum is heated Pleochroism None
in air it loses water and 2V angle 58°
converts first to calcium Fusibility 5
sulfate hemihydrate,
(bassanite, often simply Solubility Hot, dilute HCl
Gypsum cristals are plastic enough to
bend under pressure of the hand. called "plaster") and, if References [1][2][3]
Sample on display at Musée cantonal heated further, to
anhydrous calcium Major varieties
de géologie de Lausanne.
sulfate (anhydrite). As Satin spar Pearly, fibrous masses
for anhydrite, its
Selenite Transparent and bladed crystals
solubility in saline solutions and in brines is also strongly
dependent on NaCl concentration.[6] Alabaster Fine­grained, slightly colored

Gypsum crystals are found to contain anion water and hydrogen bonding.[7]

Crystal varieties
Gypsum occurs in nature as flattened and often twinned crystals, and transparent, cleavable masses called selenite.
Selenite contains no significant selenium; rather, both substances were named for the ancient Greek word for the
Moon.

Selenite may also occur in a silky, fibrous form, in which case it is commonly called "satin spar". Finally, it may
also be granular or quite compact. In hand­sized samples, it can be anywhere from transparent to opaque. A very
fine­grained white or lightly tinted variety of gypsum, called alabaster, is prized for ornamental work of various
sorts. In arid areas, gypsum can occur in a flower­like form, typically opaque, with embedded sand grains called
desert rose. It also forms some of the largest crystals found in nature, up to 12 m (39 ft) long, in the form of
selenite.[8]

Occurrence

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Gypsum is a common mineral, with thick and extensive evaporite beds in association with sedimentary rocks.
Deposits are known to occur in strata from as far back as the Archaean eon.[9] Gypsum is deposited from lake and
sea water, as well as in hot springs, from volcanic vapors, and sulfate solutions in veins. Hydrothermal anhydrite in
veins is commonly hydrated to gypsum by groundwater in near­surface exposures. It is often associated with the
minerals halite and sulfur. Gypsum is the commonest sulfate mineral.[10] Pure gypsum is white, but other
substances found as impurities may give a wide range of colors to local deposits.

Because gypsum dissolves over time in water, gypsum is rarely found in the form of sand. However, the unique
conditions of the White Sands National Monument in the US state of New Mexico have created a 710 km2
(270 sq mi) expanse of white gypsum sand, enough to supply the construction industry with drywall for 1,000
years.[11] Commercial exploitation of the area, strongly opposed by area residents, was permanently prevented in
1933 when president Herbert Hoover declared the gypsum dunes a protected national monument.

Gypsum is also formed as a by­product of sulfide oxidation, amongst others by pyrite oxidation, when the sulfuric
acid generated reacts with calcium carbonate. Its presence indicates oxidizing conditions. Under reducing
conditions, the sulfates it contains can be reduced back to sulfide by sulfate­reducing bacteria. Electric power
stations burning coal with flue gas desulfurization produce large quantities of gypsum as a byproduct from the
scrubbers.

Orbital pictures from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have indicated the existence of gypsum dunes in
the northern polar region of Mars,[12] which were later confirmed at ground level by the Mars Exploration Rover
(MER) Opportunity.[13]

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Gypsum crystals in the Cave of the Veins of gypsum in the silts/marls of

Crystals in Mexico. Note person for the Tea Green and Grey Marls, Blue
scale Anchor, Somerset, UK

Veins of gypsum in Caprock Canyons

State Park, Texas

Mining
Commercial quantities of gypsum are found in the cities of Araripina and Grajaú in Brazil; in Pakistan, Jamaica,
Iran (world's second largest producer), Thailand, Spain (the main producer in Europe), Germany, Italy, England,
Ireland, Canada[15] and the United States. Large open pit quarries are located in many places including Plaster City,
California, United States, and East Kutai, Kalimantan, Indonesia. Several small mines also exist in places such as
Kalannie in Western Australia, where gypsum is sold to private buyers for additions of calcium and sulfur as well
as reduction of aluminum toxicities on soil for agricultural purposes.

Crystals of gypsum up to 11 m (36 ft) long have been found in the caves of the Naica Mine of Chihuahua, Mexico.
The crystals thrived in the cave's extremely rare and stable natural environment. Temperatures stayed at 58 °C
(136 °F), and the cave was filled with mineral­rich water that drove the crystals' growth. The largest of those
crystals weighs 55 tons and is around 500,000 years old.[16]

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Estimated production of Gypsum in 2015

(thousand metric tons)[14]
Country Production Reserves
China 132,000 N/A
Iran 22,000 1,600
Thailand 12,500 N/A
USA 11,500 700,000
Turkey 10,000 N/A
Spain 6,400 N/A
Mexico 5,300 N/A
Golden gypsum crystals from
Winnipeg Japan 5,000 N/A
Russia 4,500 N/A
Italy 4,100 N/A
India 3,500 39,000
Australia 3,500 N/A
Oman 3,500 N/A
Brazil 3,300 290,000
France 3,300 N/A
Canada 2,700 450,000
Saudi Arabia 2,400 N/A
Algeria 2,200 N/A
Gypsum sand from White Sands Germany 1,800 450,000
National Monument, New Mexico Argentina 1,400 N/A
Pakistan 1,300 N/A
Synthesis United Kingdom 1,200 55,000
Other countries 15,000 N/A
Synthetic gypsum is recovered via flue­gas desulfurization at some World total 258,000 N/A
coal­fired power plants. It can be used interchangeably with natural
gypsum in some applications.

Gypsum also precipitates onto brackish water membranes, a phenomenon known as mineral salt scaling, such as
during brackish water desalination of water with high concentrations of calcium and sulfate. Scaling decreases
membrane life and productivity. This is one of the main obstacles in brackish water membrane desalination
processes, such as reverse osmosis or nanofiltration. Other forms of scaling, such as calcite scaling, depending on
the water source, can also be important considerations in distillation, as well as in heat exchangers, where either
the salt solubility or concentration can change rapidly.

A new study has suggested that the formation of gypsum starts as tiny crystals of a mineral called bassanite
(CaSO4·0.5H2O).[17] This process occurs via a three­stage pathway: (1) homogeneous nucleation of
nanocrystalline bassanite; (2) self­assembly of bassanite into aggregates, and (3) transformation of bassanite into
gypsum.
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Occupational safety
People can be exposed to gypsum in the workplace by breathing it in, skin contact, and eye contact.

United States

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set the legal limit (permissible exposure limit) for
gypsum exposure in the workplace as TWA 15 mg/m3 for total exposure and TWA 5 mg/m3 for respiratory
exposure over an 8­hour workday. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has set a
recommended exposure limit (REL) of TWA 10 mg/m3 for total exposure and TWA 5 mg/m3 for respiratory
exposure over an 8­hour workday.[18]

Uses
Gypsum is used in a wide variety of applications:

Gypsum board[19] is primarily used as a finish for walls and ceilings, and is known in construction as
drywall, wallboard, sheetrock or plasterboard.
Gypsum blocks are used like concrete blocks in building construction.
Gypsum mortar is an ancient mortar used in building construction.
Plaster ingredients are used in surgical splints, casting moulds and modeling.
Fertilizer and soil conditioner: In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Nova Scotia gypsum, often referred
to as plaster, was a highly sought fertilizer for wheat fields in the United States. It is also used in
ameliorating high­sodium soils.[20]
A binder in fast­dry tennis court clay
As alabaster, a material for sculpture, it was used especially in the ancient world before steel was developed,
when its relative softness made it much easier to carve.
A wood substitute in the ancient world: For example, when wood became scarce due to deforestation on
Bronze Age Crete, gypsum was employed in building construction at locations where wood was previously
used.[21]
A tofu (soy bean curd) coagulant, making it ultimately a major source of dietary calcium, especially in Asian
cultures which traditionally use few dairy products
Adding hardness to water used for brewing[22]
Used in baking as a dough conditioner, reducing stickiness, and as a baked­goods source of dietary
calcium.[23] The primary component of mineral yeast food.[24]
A component of Portland cement used to prevent flash setting of concrete
Soil/water potential monitoring (soil moisture)
A common ingredient in making mead
In the medieval period, scribes and illuminators mixed it with lead carbonate (powdered white lead) to make
gesso, which was applied to illuminated letters and gilded with gold in illuminated manuscripts.
In foot creams, shampoos and many other hair products
A medicinal agent in traditional Chinese medicine called shi gao
Impression plasters in dentistry
Used in mushroom cultivation to stop grains from clumping together
Tests have shown that gypsum can be used to remove pollutants such as lead[25] or arsenic[26][27] from
contaminated waters.

Gallery

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Unusual gypsum specimens from around the world

Green gypsum crystals from Pernatty Desert rose, 47 cm long

Lagoon, Mt Gunson, South Australia ­
its green color is due to presence of
copper ions.

Classic "ram's horn" gypsum from Selenite from the Houston Museum of
Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico, Natural Science
7.5×4.3×3.8 cm

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Gypsum with inclusions of green Gypsum with crystalline native copper

atacamite from Peru inside

Bright, cherry­red gypsum crystals Fiery­orange gypsum crystals

2.5 cm in height colored by rich
inclusions of the rare mineral
botryogen

Unusual selenite gypsum from the Red

River, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

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See also
Gypcrust
Gypsum recycling
Phosphogypsum

References

1. Anthony, John W.; Bideaux, Richard A.; Bladh, Kenneth W.; Nichols, Monte C., eds. (2003). "Gypsum". Handbook of
Mineralogy (http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/gypsum.pdf) (PDF). V (Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates). Chantilly,
VA, US: Mineralogical Society of America. ISBN 0962209708.
2. Gypsum (http://www.mindat.org/min­1784.html). Mindat
3. Klein, Cornelis; Hurlbut, Cornelius S., Jr. (1985), Manual of Mineralogy (20th ed.), John Wiley, pp. 352–353, ISBN 0­
471­80580­7
4. "Compact Oxford English Dictionary: gypsum" (http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/gypsum).
5. Smith, Joshua (2007). Borderland smuggling: Patriots, loyalists, and illicit trade in the Northeast, 1780–1820.
Gainesville, FL: UPF. pp. passim. ISBN 0­8130­2986­4.
6. Bock, E. (1961). "On the solubility of anhydrous calcium sulphate and of gypsum in concentrated solutions of sodium
chloride at 25 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C" (http://article.pubs.nrc­cnrc.gc.ca/ppv/RPViewDoc?issn=1480­3291&volume
=39&issue=9&startPage=1746). Canadian Journal of Chemistry. 39 (9): 1746–1751. doi:10.1139/v61­228 (https://doi.or
g/10.1139%2Fv61­228).
7. Mandal, Pradip K; Mandal, Tanuj K (2002). "Anion water in gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) and hemihydrate
(CaSO4·1/2H2O)". Cement and Concrete Research. 32 (2): 313. doi:10.1016/S0008­8846(01)00675­5 (https://doi.org/10.
1016%2FS0008­8846%2801%2900675­5).
8. García­Ruiz, Juan Manuel; Villasuso, Roberto; Ayora, Carlos; Canals, Angels; Otálora, Fermín (2007). "Formation of
natural gypsum megacrystals in Naica, Mexico". Geology. 35 (4): 327–330. Bibcode:2007Geo....35..327G (http://adsabs.
harvard.edu/abs/2007Geo....35..327G). doi:10.1130/G23393A.1 (https://doi.org/10.1130%2FG23393A.1).
9. Cockell, C. S.; Raven, J. A. (2007). "Ozone and life on the Archaean Earth". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal
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9C). doi:10.1098/rsta.2007.2049 (https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frsta.2007.2049).
10. Deer, W.A.; Howie, R.A.; Zussman, J. (1966). An Introduction to the Rock Forming Minerals. London: Longman.
p. 469. ISBN 0­582­44210­9.
11. Abarr, James (7 February 1999). "Sea of sand" (http://www.abqjournal.com/venue/travel/tourism/heritage_whitesands.ht
m). The Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
12. High­resolution Mars image gallery (http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/nea.php). University of Arizona
13. NASA Mars Rover Finds Mineral Vein Deposited by Water (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/news/mer2011120
7.html), NASA, 7 December 2011.
14. "GYPSUM" (https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/gypsum/mcs­2016­gypsu.pdf) (PDF). U.S. Geological
Survey.
15. "Mines, mills and concentrators in Canada" (http://mmsd1.mms.nrcan.gc.ca/mmsd/producers/commodityCompany_e.asp?
nId=51&mineType=nonMetal). Natural Resources Canada. 24 October 2005. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
16. Alleyne, Richard (27 October 2008). "World's largest crystal discovered in Mexican cave" (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ne
ws/newstopics/howaboutthat/3269047/Worlds­largest­crystal­discovered­in­Mexican­cave.html). London: The Telegraph.
Retrieved 6 June 2009.
17. Van Driessche, A.E.S.; Benning, L. G.; Rodriguez­Blanco, J. D.; Ossorio, M.; Bots, P.; García­Ruiz, J. M. (2012). "The
role and implications of bassanite as a stable precursor phase to gypsum precipitation" (http://www.sciencemag.org/conten
t/336/6077/69). Science. 336 (6077): 69–72. Bibcode:2012Sci...336...69V (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012Sci...336...6
9V). doi:10.1126/science.1215648 (https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.1215648). PMID 22491851 (https://www.ncbi.nl
m.nih.gov/pubmed/22491851).
18. "CDC – NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards – Gypsum" (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0308.html).
www.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2015­11­03.
19. *Complimentary list of MasterFormat 2004 Edition numbers and titles (http://www.csinet.org/s_csi/docs/9400/9361.pdf)
(large PDF document)

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20. Oster, J. D.; Frenkel, H. (1980). "The chemistry of the reclamation of sodic soils with gypsum and lime". Soil Science
Society of America Journal. 44 (1): 41–45. doi:10.2136/sssaj1980.03615995004400010010x (https://doi.org/10.2136%2F
sssaj1980.03615995004400010010x).
21. Hogan, C. Michael (2007). "Knossos fieldnotes" (http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/10854/knossos.html#fieldno
tes). Modern Antiquarian.
22. Palmer, John. "Water Chemistry Adjustment for Extract Brewing" (http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter4­
2.html). HowToBrew.com. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
23. "Calcium sulphate for the baking industry" (http://www.usg.com/rc/technical­specifications/fillers/food­grade­calcium­sul
fate­for­baking­industry­technical­specifications­en­IG130.pdf) (pdf). United States Gypsum Company. Retrieved 1 March
2013.
24. "Tech sheet for yeast food" (http://web.archive.org/web/20131029185607/http://www.lesaffreyeastcorp.com/sites/default/f
iles/products_files/Tech%20Sheet%20­%20RS%20Yeast%20Food.pdf) (PDF). Lesaffre Yeast Corporation. Archived from
the original (http://www.lesaffreyeastcorp.com/sites/default/files/products_files/Tech%20Sheet%20­%20RS%20Yeast%20
Food.pdf) (pdf) on November 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
25. Astilleros, J.M.; Godelitsas, A.; Rodríguez­Blanco, J.D.; Fernández­Díaz, L.; Prieto, M.; Lagoyannis, A.; Harissopulos,
S. (2010). "Interaction of gypsum with lead in aqueous solutions". Applied Geochemistry. 25 (7): 1008.
doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2010.04.007 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.apgeochem.2010.04.007).
26. Rodriguez, J. D.; Jimenez, A.; Prieto, M.; Torre, L.; Garcia­Granda, S. (2008). "Interaction of gypsum with As(V)­
bearing aqueous solutions: Surface precipitation of guerinite, sainfeldite, and Ca2NaH(AsO4)2⋅6H2O, a synthetic
arsenate". American Mineralogist. 93 (5–6): 928. doi:10.2138/am.2008.2750 (https://doi.org/10.2138%2Fam.2008.2750).
27. Rodríguez­Blanco, Juan Diego; Jiménez, Amalia and Prieto, Manuel (2007). "Oriented Overgrowth of Pharmacolite
(CaHAsO4⋅2H2O) on Gypsum (CaSO4⋅2H2O)". Cryst. Growth Des. 7 (12): 2756–2763. doi:10.1021/cg070222+ (https://
doi.org/10.1021%2Fcg070222%2B).

External links
WebMineral data (http://webmineral.com/data/Gypsum.shtml)
Mineral galleries – gypsum (http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sul Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Gypsum.
fates/gypsum/gypsum.htm)
CDC – NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (http://www.cdc.g
ov/niosh/npg/npgd0308.html) Look up gypsum in
Wiktionary, the free
dictionary.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Gypsum&oldid=781916831"

Categories: Calcium minerals Sulfate minerals Sedimentary rocks Evaporite Alchemical substances
Monoclinic minerals Alabaster Luminescent minerals Industrial minerals

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