Plaster: Understand the Different Types for Your Work
Civil construction, agriculture, foundry industry, ceramic industry and dentistry are areas that use gypsum, due to its surprising physico-chemical characteristics. But do you want to understand more fully why it is a multifunctional material used in areas that are not always related? Also, what are the different types of plaster that you can use in your work? You'll find everything here, plus discover how to improve your work with plaster!
If you are a professional who works with plaster, know that, in addition to knowing all the practice for handling the material, it is important to understand more theoretical aspects, such as the origin of the plaster as well as its chemical composition. Let's help you with that!
But also, in addition to learning about its various applications, the focus here will be on the plaster used in civil construction so that we can provide the information you need to further improve your work!
After you finish reading this article, you will have learned not only about the characteristics and applications of the different types of plaster, but also how to improve the workability of the material in addition to knowing how to increase the durability, quality and strength of the manufactured parts! Do you want to know all this? Come with us!
Nowadays, you can easily find plaster at any construction store, right? But have you ever stopped to think about where it comes from and what process it goes through to reach you, bagged and ready to be used?
So let's understand. Plaster is one of the oldest building materials manufactured by man and obtaining it is quite simple. The process consists of heating gypsum, an ore abundant in Brazil, to a not very high temperature (about 160º C), which is then reduced to dust.
Basically, this procedure can be divided into Stages, namely: after the ore blocks are extracted, they undergo the processes of crushing (fragmentation of the gypsum blocks), calcination (heat treatment in which the gypsum is dehydrated), grinding and packing.
The largest gypsum deposits are found in the Araripe region, in the northeast, where the Gesseiro do Araripe pole is located.
With this in mind, let's explain, in a simple way, what the chemical composition of gypsum is. But rest assured that we won't scare you with huge chemical equations!
What is the Chemical Composition of Plaster?
Gypsum is composed of calcium sulfate hemihydrate, CaSO4.½ H2O, which is obtained through the calcination reaction of gypsum, represented by the following equation:
Gypsite Calcination Reaction
As you already know, calcination is a stage in the gypsum production process and this equation represents the dehydration of gypsum to obtain the gypsum that we find in the market.
Did you see how difficult it wasn't? Now that you understand how plaster is produced and what its compounding, let's know where it can be used!
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Gypsum Applications
As we said above, our focus is on studying plaster in civil construction, but now we are going to give you an overview to get an idea of the immense diversity of areas that can benefit from the use of this material.
In health, plaster is used in dentistry to make molds and models to make orthodontic appliances, prostheses, and restorations. Also, orthopedics uses plaster to immobilize limbs that have been fractured, allowing for faster bone reconstitution.
Did you know that plaster is also used in farming? Agricultural plastering is done to reduce aluminum toxicity in the soil and provide Ca and S, nutrients that strengthen the root system of plants.
In addition, gypsum is used in the ceramic and foundry industries. In these cases, the plaster serves as a form molder for the construction of precast parts and to unmold them more quickly, since it is a faster plaster.
Finally, we arrived at what matters: plaster in civil construction. We have the following plaster applications in this field, namely:
Coatings: covering walls, ceilings and surfaces with plaster mortar to give a smooth and perfect finish;
Dividers: they can be made with plaster blocks or panels to separate environments. Plasterboard (drywall) can also be used for this purpose;
Forros: plaster is a very advantageous option to be used for this purpose, since in addition to decorating the environment, it has all the other benefits that this material provides. It can be done with plasterboard or drywall;
Decoration: plaster is a great ally of interior architecture. Because of its versatility, frames, friezes, moldings, recessed lighting, column coverings, ceiling recesses and so many other elements that make up the decoration of the rooms can be made!
Have you seen how plaster is a multifunctional material? Certainly, civil construction is the branch that most explores the use of plaster, but you can see that it is essential for other areas as well! Since your interest is to manufacture plaster parts for civil construction, we will now give you some tips to facilitate your work. Read what we have prepared for you below!
Difference between Slow Plaster and Fast Plaster
Now, a brief explanation about slow plaster and fast plaster. Slow plaster, as its name suggests, takes longer to harden, that is, its drying time is slower, which generates an additional gain of time to handle and manufacture the plaster pieces. This type of plaster is used on walls of concrete, ceramic bricks, brickwork and ceilings.
Fast plaster, on the other hand, dries much faster, from 9 to 12 minutes until it takes shape after being applied. It must be used for specific purposes, such as for minor renovations and manual or craft work, casting frames and covering internal surfaces. Fast plaster may be ideal for these cases, but if it takes too long to handle, it can harden before application and thus generate waste and expense.
Therefore, the issue of delaying the hardening of the plaster is important to improve the workability of the plaster, which is what we will look at in the next topic.
How to Improve the Workability of Plaster?
Often, to increase the drying time of the plaster and thus facilitate your work, saving more time to handle and manufacture the parts, it is necessary to use an additive to slow down the hardening of the plaster.
This additive is indispensable for plaster professionals, as it improves the workability of this material. With that in mind, Blok developed an additive that delays the hardening of gypsum, making it easier to carry out your work longer and avoiding waste, Blok Slow Plaster.
BlokGesso Lento allows the plaster mixture to be dosed according to the required open time, reducing the waste of cured plaster mortar and increasing the finishing and smoothing time during application. There's no reason not to use it!
Innovation in the Plaster Market
The biggest limitation that plaster imposes for those who work with this material is, until then, the impossibility of using it in outdoor or humid areas, because it does not withstand direct contact with water or humidity.
But Blok developed a water repellent towards Revolutionize the plaster industry, or Blok Gesso, which promotes water repellency in any piece of plaster and increases the durability of the material when exposed to moisture, in addition to its high performance.
For this reason, BlokGesso is the innovation in the plaster market, as you will be able to add even more value to your plaster artifacts and multiply your profits!
If you want to better understand how the plaster hydrophobition process works, access our article hereto!
Also get to know our other products for plaster to further increase your productivity and quality in the manufactured parts! Count on Blok for Any Challenge.
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