What is gypsum?
An Overview of the Gypsum Gypsum is the mineral that includes in its structure Sulfate ion, which makes it a sulfate mineral, and of all the sulfate minerals, Gypsum is the most common. Gypsum is composed of hydrated calcium sulfate, and its chemical formula is CaSO4.2H2O.
Why gypsum in your organic soil?
Why Gypsum in your Organic Soil? - BuildASoil Home Grower Pro Tips Why Gypsum in your Organic Soil? Why Gypsum in your Organic Soil? Agricultural Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate - CaSO4) is one of those rare materials that performs in all three categories of soil treatment: an amendment, conditioner, and fertilizer.
What are the benefits of blends of gypsum and organics?
Blends of gypsum and organics increase the value of the other as soil amendments, especially for improvement of soil structure. High levels of soil organic matter are always associated with liberal amounts of calcium which is part of gypsum.
Can gypsum be found in crystal form?
Since gypsum is dissolved in the water over a period of time, only on rare occasions it can be found in the form of sand, and hence mostly it is found in the crystal form. The gypsum crystal of more than 3 metres or of almost 10 feet in length, and of 0.4 metres or almost about 1.5 feet in diameter, was found in the Braden mine of Chile.
Is gypsum a chemical?
Gypsum is the name given to a mineral categorized as calcium sulfate mineral, and its chemical formula is calcium sulfate dihydrate, CaSO4⋅ 2H2O. However, a broader definition includes all the calcium sulfates, including calcium sulfate hemihydrate, CaSO4⋅ 0.5H2O, which is known as plaster or plaster of Paris (POP).
Is gypsum a natural product?
Gypsum, also known as calcium sulfate hydrate, is a naturally occurring mineral found in layers of sedimentary rock all over the world. It is formed by the evaporation and replenishment of waters containing calcium and sulfates.
Can gypsum be used in organic gardening?
Gypsum is non-toxic and safe to use around people and pets. It works well throughout the yard or garden and can be applied to lawns, in vegetable or flower gardens, and around trees and shrubs.
Is gypsum A chemical rock?
Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO 4·2H2O. It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and drywall....GypsumAlabasterFine-grained, slightly colored33 more rows
Is gypsum safe for humans?
Gypsum (calcium sulfate) is recognized as acceptable for human consumption by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as a dietary source of calcium, to condition water used in brewing beer, to control the tartness and clarity of wine, and as an ingredient in canned vegetables, flour, white bread, ice cream, blue ...
Why gypsum is added to soil?
Adding gypsum to the soil reduces erosion by increasing the ability of soil to soak up water after precipitation, thus reducing runoff. Gypsum application also improves soil aeration and water percolation through the soil profile.
Is gypsum organic fertilizer?
Naturally mined gypsum is considered an allowed non-synthetic input for crop use according to National Organic Program (NOP) regulations. Natural gypsum is also listed generically as acceptable in the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) handbook.
Can you apply too much gypsum to soil?
It is possible to use too much gypsum. Adding too much gypsum to your soil can damage it by removing necessary nutrients. An abundance of gypsum can remove elements such as iron, aluminum and manganese from your soil and cause them to contaminate other areas, harming plant growth.
Can you put gypsum in compost?
Gypsum is sometimes added to compost heaps as a source of calcium at the rate of 1‑3kg per cubic metre of compost. Gypsum also has the effect of reducing odours and reducing nitrogen losses.
What is gypsum made of?
gypsum, common sulfate mineral of great commercial importance, composed of hydrated calcium sulfate (CaSO4·2H2O). In well-developed crystals the mineral commonly has been called selenite.
What is the classification of gypsum?
The American Dental Association (ADA) classify gypsum products into five different types according to their properties and uses which are impression plaster (type I), dental plaster (type II), dental stone (type III), improved stone (type IV), and high expansion improved stone (type V) (ADA 1985).
Why gypsum is chemical sedimentary rock?
Rock Gypsum is a sedimentary rock in the class known as chemical sedimentary rocks. It is formed by the evaporative deposition of gypsum from solution. It is commercially very important for the production of plaster of Paris and gypsum wallboard for house construction.
What is gypsum product?
Gypsum (hydrous calcium sulfate) is a popular raw material for manufacturing various construction products, such as plasters, drywall (wallboard or plasterboard), ceiling tiles, partitions, and building blocks.
Where is gypsum found?
In the United States, gypsum is mined in about 19 states. The states producing the most gypsum are Oklahoma, Iowa, Nevada, Texas, and California. Together, these states account for about two-thirds of the United States' annual production of gypsum.
How do you classify gypsum?
The chemical difference is that gypsum contains two waters and anhydrite is without water....Physical Properties of GypsumChemical ClassificationSulfateDiagnostic PropertiesCleavage, specific gravity, low hardnessChemical CompositionHydrous calcium sulfate, CaSO4.2H2OCrystal SystemMonoclinic8 more rows
What is synthetic gypsum?
Synthetic Gypsum is a Unique By-Product Synthetic gypsum is created as a by-product of industrial processing. It is composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, has the same characteristics as natural gypsum, and is a high-quality and environmentally friendly product.
1. What variety of gypsum is used for ornamental purposes?
The 2 varieties of gypsum which are used in making ornaments are “satin spar” and “alabaster.”
2. Is gypsum harmful?
It is not a toxic material and in case you ingest it, just wash out your mouth and drink plenty of water. It may irritate the eye or cause discomfo...
3. Where is the largest gypsum quarry?
Gypsum rock is found all through the world and the biggest quarry is found in Nova Scotia, in Eastern Canada, and is owned by National Gypsum.
4. Is there any alternative to natural gypsum?
Flue Gas Desulphurisation Gypsum or FGD Gypsum can be used as an alternative to natural gypsum. In coal-fired power stations, their by-products giv...
5. What are the two ways of calcification of gypsum?
There are 2 ways gypsum is calcined to produce different types of gypsum:Beta plaster is produced when calcifications happen at atmospheric pressur...
What is gypsum made of?
Gypsum is a naturally occurring mineral composed of hydrated calcium sulfate and appears soft white or grey in colour. It is formed mainly in layered sedimentary deposits and has a variety of uses in many industries like building, sculpting, gardening, and ornaments.
Where is gypsum found?
Since gypsum is found all over the world, its shape and texture also vary depending on which part of the world it is found. It is found in approximately 85 countries, and the biggest amount of gypsum is produced in North America.
What is the Chemical Formula for Gypsum?
Its chemical name is Calcium Sulphate Dihydrate and the chemical formula of gypsum is represented as CaSO4.2H2O. Gypsum and Anhydrite (CaSO4) are very similar chemically just that gypsum has 2 water molecules and Anhydrite does not contain any water molecules.
How is gypsum rock made?
Gypsum rock is first mined or quarried, then crushed and ground to a fine powder. It then goes through a process called calcining where heat at 350 degrees is supplied to the gypsum powder which removes 3/4th of the water molecules. Hemihydrate is the name of calcined gypsum which is then used in gypsum board, gypsum plaster, and other products. Its selection and preparation (like cleaning) determine the quality of plaster produced. The chemical reaction of this process can be given as:
What is gypsum crystal?
Gypsum was known as Spear Stone in old English since it takes a crystal-like form, projecting out of a rock like a spear. You can mill mix gypsum with water to get its original rock-like shape, and it can be hardened. Its recycling loop can be termed as a “closed recycling loop” since you can recycle it for a number of times and it never loses its quality. It is moderately soluble in water, and its solubility reduces with the rise in temperature, contrary to the behaviour of other salts. Here are some of its important chemical and physical properties at a glance:
What are the two types of gypsum used in ornaments?
The 2 varieties of gypsum which are used in making ornaments are “satin spar” and “alabaster.”
What are the different forms of gypsum?
Gypsum has found its use in diverse fields, based on which it can be classified in the below categories: Its Different Forms are: Rock in dull colour . Alabaster which is its fine-grained variety. Gypcrete or gypcrust, which is a hard layer formed on the soil.
What is Gypsum?
Technically called calcium sulfate, gypsum is a naturally occurring mineral that contains calcium and sulfur. It can be chemically expressed as CaSO42H20.
What is granular gypsum?
Granular Gypsum: With a similar look to lawn fertilizer, granular gypsum is formed into small, uniformly-sized pellets that can be used in any regular fertilizer spreader. This makes it perfect for spreading on existing lawns or gardens where you don’t want to disturb the soil too much.
Why use gypsum in soil?
This is also a smart strategy for soils in drought areas, as using gypsum ensures that most of the water will make it to the roots of your garden plants, rather than evaporating on the surface .
How long does it take for gypsum to work?
Gypsum isn’t known for its fast-acting results, but after consistently adding it to your soil for three years you should notice that your soil is less compacted and more easily penetrated by plant roots. Over time, this soil will better allow water to run through it. Thus, allowing seeds to emerge from the soil faster. This is also a smart strategy for soils in drought areas, as using gypsum ensures that most of the water will make it to the roots of your garden plants, rather than evaporating on the surface.
How to know if your soil is good for gypsum?
Some gardens benefit more from the use of gypsum than others. To find out if your soil will respond well to gypsum, get a soil test to see what the saline levels are . Otherwise, simply observe how much clay is present. Besides clay garden soil, some of the best places to use gypsum are around construction sites where the ground has been compacted through heavy equipment.
Can you use gypsum powder in a garden?
Powdered Gypsum: Just as the name implies, powdered gypsum is a fine powder that can be easily worked into difficult soil. Therefore, making it a smart choice for new garden beds. Just work it into the soil with a shovel or rake, and allow it to dissolve in water. You can spread out the gypsum through the use of vicon style spreaders that are specifically designed for spreading powders.
Is gypsum good for soil?
Another benefit to adding gypsum to your soil is that it can help neutralize acidic soils and reduce aluminum toxicity that usually comes along with it. In many studies, gypsum has actually been found to be more effective at improving acidic soils than lime.
What is gypsum made of?
Huge amounts of industrial gypsum are formed as a by-product of the sulfide oxidation to produce sulfuric acid; another source of gypsum by-products are coal-fired electric power plants with an integrated flue gas desulfurization (FGD) unit.
How is gypsum produced?
Varieties of gypsum will be produced when the natural dihydrate gypsum is processed with the change of heating methods and temperatures. The main production procedures are breaking, heating and grinding. The gypsum commonly used in construction projects is building gypsum, composed of β semi-hydrate gypsum.
What temperature is calcined gypsum fired at?
3 Calcined Gypsum. Calcined gypsum is produced when dihydrate gypsum is fired at the temperature of 800-1100 °C. At this time, a little calcium sulphate is decomposed to generate new phase CaO, which gives calcined gypsum certain hydrating ability. The condensation speed of calcined gypsum is slow. The amount of water demanded in standard ...
What happens if you add too much gypsum to cement?
If the content of gypsum is too little, the retardation affect will be unobvious. Too much gypsum will accelerate the setting of cement because gypsum can generate a coagulating agent itself. The appropriate amount of gypsum depends on the content of C 3 A in the cement and that of SO 3 in gypsum, and it also related to the fineness of cement and the content of SO 3 in clinker. The amount of gypsum should account for 3% ~ 5% of the cement’s mass. If the content of gypsum exceeds the limit, it will lower the strength of cement and it can even lead to poor dimensional stability, which will cause the expanded destruction of cement paste. Thus, the national standard requires that the content of SO 3 should not be more than 3.5%.
What is gypsum board used for?
Gypsum board is primarily used as a finish for walls and ceilings, and is known in construction as drywall or plasterboard. Gypsum is also an ingredient of surgical splints, casting molds and modeling, utilizing the property of coagulation.
Why is gypsum used in slip casting?
The gypsum mold is a critical element in slip casting, because the capillary suction of this porous material is responsible for slip dewatering (Dal and Berden 1968). Advantages of gypsum are the ease of its manufacture into a wide variety of shapes, low cost, good dimensional accuracy, and reproducible water absorption properties.
How much energy does gypsum produce?
Depending on the process and type of gypsum, making of 1 kg of β-hemihydrate typically produces 0.097 kg equivalent of CO 2 and generates a primary energy demand of ∼1.49 MJ. 203 As a consequence, gypsum could gain even more importance in the future as an environmentally friendly mineral binder system for dry mortars.
Is Gypsum Safe For Organic Gardening?
It is safe and non-toxic to use gypsum for individuals and pets.You can apply it to the lawns, vegetable gardens or flowers around trees or shrubs, and it should last a long time.
Is Gypsum Considered Organic?
Since natural gypsum is not a synthetic product, it may be produced for crop use by using the National Organic Program (NOP).Aside from this, the Organic Materials Review Institute handbook lists natural gypsum as a generic form.
Can Gypsum Harm Plants?
When gypsum is used over in your soil, you can strip away important nutrients, which can slow plant growth.
Can You Add Too Much Gypsum To Soil?
Too Much Gypsum in Your Skin Can You Get There?? ?Is there a way for you to do it? Yes, you can.Infuse too much gypsum into soil and beneficial elements like aluminum, magnesium, iron, and manganese go away.Plants that don’t receive enough of these nutrients are less likely to grow.
How Much Gypsum Do I Add To My Vegetable Garden?
Generally, your plant garden will need 20 pounds of gypsum, or about 100 square feet in size, if you decide gypsum is suitable for it.Four pounds per 100 feet are needed to grow a lawn, not many pounds at all.Fall is the best time to apply gypsum.
What Organic Material Can I Add To My Garden?
Among the good organic amendments for garden soils are wood by-products including sawdust and bark mulch, peat moss, rotted manure, grass or wheat straw, and compost. In addition to those, compost can have pumice and perlite added as well as minerals.
How Much Gypsum Do I Add To My Tomato Plants?
Using a one- to two-pound rate per area 100 square feet of soil, apply gypsum on Mondays and Saturdays.If the pH of the soil is below 6, then it needs to be tested for acidity.The pH should be above 6 once you add enough lime to raise it up to 0.05%.Occasionally, you’ll find it slightly higher.By using mulch as well as irrigation, you will enhance soil moisture absorption in the area..
Why is gypsum used in soil?
Gypsum improves water infiltration rates into soils and also the hydraulic conductivity of the soil. It is protection against excess water runoff from especially large storms that are accompanied with erosion. (1)
What is gypsum used for?
Gypsum is used for peanuts, which develop below ground to keep them disease free. Gypsum helps prevent blossom-end root of watermelon and tomatoes and bitter pit in apples. Gypsum is preferred over lime for potatoes. grown in acid soils so that scab may be controlled.
How is gypsum used in soil reclamation?
Gypsum is used in the reclamation of sodic soils. Where the exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) of so dic soils is too high, it must be decreased for soil improvement and better crop growth. The most economical way is to add gypsum which supplies calcium. The calcium replaces the sodium held on the clay-binding sites. The sodium can then be leached from the soil as sodium sulfate to an appropriate sink. The sulfate is the residue from the gypsum. Without gypsum, the soil would not be leachable. Sometimes an ESP of three is too high, but sometimes up to ten or more can be tolerated. (2)
What is the difference between calcium and sodium?
The calcium replaces the sodium held on the clay-binding sites. The sodium can then be leached from the soil as sodium sulfate to an appropriate sink. The sulfate is the residue from the gypsum. Without gypsum, the soil would not be leachable.
Why is gypsum important?
Gypsum increases water-use efficiency of crops. In areas and times of drought , this is extremely important. Improved water infiltration rates, improved hydraulic conductivity of soil, better water storage in the soil all lead to deeper rooting and better water-use efficiency.
What is the mechanism that binds soil organic matter to clay in soil?
Gypsum is a source of calcium which is a major mechanism that binds soil organic matter to clay in soil which gives stability to soil aggregates. The value of organic matter applied to soil is increased when it is applied with gypsum. (4)
What happens if a plant doesn't get gypsum?
How much calcium sulfate (nutrition) is available to the plant to meet its gypsum requirement when it needs it? The same is true with the soil. If it does not get gypsum when it needs it, the soil may compact, prevent water and air penetration, lose its leaching ability and become saturated with salt or other excessive elements harmful to plant growth and health. Then the plant suffers from bad soil conditions.
What is the chemical formula of gypsum?
Chemically speaking, gypsum is calcium sulfate. Its use is often confused with that of lime, which is calcium carbonate.
What is gypsum from coal?
Gypsum that comes from coal plants is called flue-gas desulfurization gypsum, as it comes from the process that ‘scrubs’ sulfur out of the smoke stacks to reduce air pollution. “The gypsum that is recovered has good quality,” says Dick. “The gypsum particles are small and uniform in size making them quite reactive.
Why is gypsum used in power plants?
In addition, the re-use of gypsum by-products from coal power plants reduces the need to mine gypsum from geologic deposits. It also saves landfill space. Gypsum can’t solve every agricultural problem, but it is a proven resource to add nutrients and improve soil structure.
Why is gypsum important for farmers?
Farmers have to manage their soil well in order to maintain good crop yields year after year. Improving soil structure helps farmers with some common agricultural problems. Adding gypsum to the soil reduces erosion by increasing the ability of soil to soak up water after precipitation, thus reducing runoff.
Does gypsum affect soil pH?
Gypsum will change soil pH very slightly , yet it can promote better root development of crops, especially in acid soils, even without a big pH change. This is because the gypsum counteracts the toxic effect of soluble aluminum on root development. Aluminum occurs naturally in soil and often isn’t a problem for crops. But when soil becomes acidic, the aluminum is available to plants—and it can stunt or kill them.
Is gypsum a good source of sulfur?
When roots are more abundant and can grow deeper into the soil profile, they can take up more water and nutrients, even during the drier periods of a growing season. Although moderately soluble, gypsum can be an excellent source of sulfur over several growing seasons.
Is gypsum soluble in calcium?
Another bonus of gypsum is that it is a moderately-soluble mineral. This means the calcium can move further down into the soil than the calcium from lime (calcium carbonate). This can inhibit aluminum uptake at depth and promote deeper rooting of plants.
1. Introduction
With the growing global human population, demand for food production is rapidly increasing. At the same time, it is expected that potential yield may decrease in some areas of the world as a consequence of climate change ( Hochman et al., 2017) and soil degradation.
4. Discussion
This experiment was a short-term study with the aim to find the differences in effectiveness of gypsum and different organic amendments to form aggregates and to control dispersion of sodic soils.
5. Conclusion
The release of Ca either from gypsum or organic amendments is necessary to reduce dispersion of sodic soils but does not contribute to aggregate formation. This study demonstrates that among all the organic amendments examined, CM reduced clay dispersion due to its high Ca and low Na content.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
The following are the Supplementary data to this article: Download : Download Word document (188KB) Supplementary data 1.
