1、Gypsum Association810 First Street NE, #510Washington, DC 20002202-289-5440www.gypsum.orgGYPSUMS ENVIRONMENTALSTORY . . .in North AmericaGYPSUM IS A BENIGN ROCK formed in the age of dinosaurs ascalcium sulfate through precipitation in vast inland seas through-out the world. The oldest known use of g
2、ypsum as a buildingmaterial was in the ancient Egyptian pyramids. Over the past3,500 years or so, it has become one of the most important min-erals known to mankind for the manufacture of constructionmaterials as well as use in a vast array of other products. About80 percent of the gypsum mined or q
3、uarried in North America isused to manufacture gypsum board or building plasters. Over 30billion square feet (2.8 billion square meters) of gypsum boardare produced annually in North America. Augustine Sackett iscredited with inventing the modern version of gypsum board (drywall) in the 1880s. Gypsu
4、m is virtually indispensable for the interiors of homes andoffices and all types of buildings where people congregate, suchas schools, shops, airports, etc. Its superiorperformance in providing everyday com-fort, in fire resistance, and in insulationheralds an even greater role for it in build-ings
5、of the future.2GYPSUM THE MIRACLE MINERALAugustine SackettAn aerial view of dinosaur tracks discovered at an Arkansas gypsumplant. The tracks, resembling “potholes,” appear in a layer of limestonecovering a bed of gypsum. The trackswere made by a pleurocoelus, a vegetarian quadripedal dinosaur ofthe
6、 sauropod family, that was about40-50 feet long and weighed about20 tons. The rear tracks are about 28 inches across, the front about 17-18 inches across, and the strideabout 8-9 feet in length. This area at the time the tracks were made was a coastal mud flat on the shoresof what we know now as the
7、 Gulf of Mexico.Modern gypsum board plant with steam rising from the gypsum beingprocessed Could it be that this steam is from water chemically captured by the gypsum 200,000,000 years ago?GYPSUM IS NON-TOXIC to humans and can be helpful to animals, plant life, mankind, and the environment when used
8、 for such applications as these.For use as a soil additive (sometimes called land plaster) toimprove the workability, water penetration of soils, and to over-come the corrosive effect of alkalinity, gypsum benefits suchcrops as alfalfa, corn, cotton, wheat, and peanuts where substan-tial amounts of
9、sulfate sulphur are required.Settles dirt and clay particles in turbid water, particularly ponds,without injury to aquatic life.Surgical and orthopedic casts are often made from plaster ofparis (gypsum).Most residents of the U.S. andCanada come into contact withgypsum every day and pay noattention t
10、o it. Gypsums greatversatility goes unrecognized;few are aware of how valuablea mineral it is and how well itis suited for its many jobs.The construction industry usesgypsum plaster and drywallproducts for fire resistance,sound control, and thermalinsulation that meet stringentquality and performanc
11、e stan-dards. These products also helpto create striking and innovativeinterior styles that are easilydesigned and installed.3 4SOME OTHER CHARACTERISTICS AND USES OF GYPSUMHowever, gypsum is used in many other applications,including the baking andbrewing industries as well ascosmetics, toothpaste,
12、farm-ing, medicine (plaster castsand fillers for pills), molds fora variety of ceramic products,and a host of others toonumerous to list here.Gypsum as calcium sulfate is recognized as acceptable forhuman consumption and a wide variety of other uses by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration such as a
13、dietary source of calci-um, to condition water used in the brewing of beer, to control thetartness and clarity of wine, as an ingredient in canned vegeta-bles (such as potatoes, carrots, and peppers), flour, white bread,ice cream, blue cheese, and other foods.Color additives for drugs and cosmetics
14、are made of gypsum.WITH NEARLY 100 NORTH AMERICAN PLANTS in 29states and 8 provinces, the gypsum industry directly provides 300,000 jobs in communities throughout theU.S. and Canada and many more indirectly in thetransportation, distribution, and installation of gypsumboard and related products. Gyp
15、sum board manufac-turers are good corporate citizens and contribute in amajor way to the national economies as well as the general welfare and well-being of local communitiesthrough participation in a variety of civic activities.New gypsum board manufacturing plants are designed to beenergy efficien
16、t; existing plants have been upgraded to use ener-gy efficiently. Some manufacturing facilities co-generate electricalpower as part of their operations. Depleted gypsum mines andquarries are rehabilitated to merge with the existing natural land-scape. The North American gypsum industry has developed
17、 aresponsible and environmentally conscious attitude toward issuesof reclamation, preservation of natural resources, recycling andwaste management, and otherwise protecting the environment. It is now our pleasure to tell you more about this and howwe do it. RECYCLING WASTE PAPERThe North American gy
18、psum industry has used recycled paper to manufacture gypsum board for nearly half a century. Over 90percent of gypsum board paper used is from recycled materials.WASTE MANAGEMENTNew construction waste: New residential construction waste gypsum may be spread over the building site when done in aprope
19、r manner.Demolition waste: Proper disposal of waste gypsum board fromdemolition, renovation, and remodeling projects needs cooperationfrom various community sectors. When disposed of properly, wastegypsum poses no health or environmental threat. The gypsumindustry is working on disposal solutions fo
20、r this type of waste.In-plant waste: New gypsum plants feature recycling of in-plantproduction waste; existing plants have undergone or are beingretrofitted to enable them to also recycle production waste.CONSERVING RAW MATERIALSThe gypsum industry increasingly uses “synthetic” gypsum tomanufacture
21、gypsum board. This raw material is a by-product, orwaste material, from other manufacturing processes as well asthe desulfurization of flue gases in fossil-fueled power plants. Byusing what would otherwise be waste products, the gypsumindustry reduces the stream of solid wastes going to landfills an
22、dat the same time extends natural gypsum reserves.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND WASTE RECOVERY5INDUSTRYS NATIONAL AND LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS6The desulfurization of flue gases in fossil-fueled power plants produces wallboardquality synthetic gypsum.87FROM GYPSUM ROCK TO GYPSUM BOARD A SEQUENCE OF EVENTSGypsums journey from the earth as a rockto its keyrole in one of the building industrys most valued productsgypsum board.GYPSUM ASSOCIATION MEMBER COMPANIES9James HardieGypsumContinental Gypsum
