Plaster

& Plaster of Paris

Plaster, specifically Plaster of Paris, is a quick-setting gypsum plaster made of fine white powder (calcium sulphate hemihydrate) that hardens when wet and left to dry. Its chemical formula is CaSO4.1/2H2O indicating that it is a dihydrate compound. When heated at 4730C, it forms an anhydrous calcium sulphate. Plaster and Plaster of Paris exhibits several properties, including being fire-resistant, with low expansion (expanding slowly and slightly upon setting), and forming a robust surface to resist regular knocks after drying. Plaster of Paris is non-flammable, and non-combustible, and has low chemical reactivity. Plaster of Paris is a versatile material with unique chemical properties, making it suitable for various applications in construction, art, and ceramics.

AgM:P10

Alpha Plaster

AgM:P20

Beta Plaster

AgM:P30

Jiggering Plaster

AgM:P40

Ram Press Plaster

AgM:P50

Mould Plaster

AgM:P60

Case Plaster

Features and Benefits

Plaster is most commonly valued for being easily and rapidly mixed in with very good uniform dispersion and stable rheology properties, although other performance benefits include:

Easily dispersed with stable rheological properties
Good cure rates and thermal conductivity
High chemical resistance
High purity grades can be used in specialist pharmaceutical and food manufacturing

Applications

• Ingredient for Lime Mortars

• Ingredient for ceramics (Tableware and Sanitaryware

• Arts and Crafts

• Architectural Renovation

Industries

Construction

Its chemical composition and reactivity make it an important material for a wide range of uses.

Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings, as well as for moulding and casting decorative features. It is a mixture of lime or gypsum, sand or cement, and water that hardens when dry.

Plaster can be relatively easily worked with metal tools and sandpaper and can be moulded either on-site or in advance. It is suitable for finishing and is used for making surfaces like the walls of a house smooth before painting them and for making ornamental designs on the ceilings of houses and other buildings.

Plaster walls offer several advantages, including a timeless and elegant look, durability, good soundproofing properties, and the ability to be repaired and refinished if damaged.

Ceramics

In ceramics, plaster is a versatile and highly absorbent material with various uses. It is commonly employed for mould-making. Hollow-ware is generally slip-cast. This process uses a plaster mould (dried) then pouring a liquid clay slurry into the mould, some manufacturing involves shaping plastic clay by pressing it into a mould. The absorbent nature of dry plaster allows it to readily pull water from the clay slurry or plastic clay.

However, each time the plaster absorbs water and is later dried again. Mould life ranges from 70 to 100 times.

Plaster is available in different types, each varying in strength, hard set time, and application. For instance, No. 1 Pottery Plaster is commonly used for making slip moulds and press moulds due to its fine particle size.

This plaster has the highest porosity, Hydrocal, on the other hand, is a plaster product with twice the compression strength of No. 1 Pottery Plaster, making it more durable and suitable for automated Tableware production (jiggering & jolleying) and making case moulds and larger moulds.

Case Mould plaster is used to produce a master mould from which production moulds are made FGR Plaster has a long set time, thus suitable for the fabrication of strong, fiberglass-reinforced items for construction sector.

FGR Plaster has a long set time, thus suitable for the fabrication of strong, fiberglass-reinforced items for construction sector

Arts and Crafts

In the artisan Craft market it is used for bespoke slip-casting, modelling and for decorative purposes

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