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Gypsum

Gypsum is a white mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate that can vary in color due to impurities. It comes in several varieties including gypsum rock, alabaster, satin spar, and selenite. Peru has significant gypsum deposits, particularly in the departments of Piura, Lambayeque, and La Libertad, which form as horizontal layers in arid environments due to evaporation. Gypsum has many industrial uses such as soil amendment in agriculture, as a setting retardant in Portland cement production, and as a raw material for construction plaster, stucco, and prefabricated panels.

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208 views4 pages

Gypsum

Gypsum is a white mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate that can vary in color due to impurities. It comes in several varieties including gypsum rock, alabaster, satin spar, and selenite. Peru has significant gypsum deposits, particularly in the departments of Piura, Lambayeque, and La Libertad, which form as horizontal layers in arid environments due to evaporation. Gypsum has many industrial uses such as soil amendment in agriculture, as a setting retardant in Portland cement production, and as a raw material for construction plaster, stucco, and prefabricated panels.

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JMarcosCharahua
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GYPSUM

Gypsum is a white mineral but due to impurities can turn gray, brown or
pink. It is called calcium sulfate dihydrate and its crystal structure is
constituted by two molecules of water and a calcium sulphate.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GYPSUM
Mineral

Formule

Yeso

CaSO4.2
H 2O

Compound
s
CaO

Percentage
(%)
32.6

SO3

46.5

H 2O

20.9

VARIETIES
Gypsum comes in five varieties:
a) Gypsum of rock
b) Gibbsite, which is a form trrea impura. Correspond to semiarid areas
where capillary rise of groundwater produced by evaporation, porous
deposits with small crystals. They are developed especially in silty clay
deposits forming agglomerations with radiated texture or stratiform layers.
c) Alabaster (Huamanga Stone) is a very pure, compact, translucent variety
of fine-grained mass.
d) Satin Spar, is an aggregate of compact fibers, has a very glossy
appearance than its fibrous crystals projected lighting effects.
e) Selenite, colorless and transparent variety that comes with glitter or Pearl
luster. Selenite word comes from the Greek word meaning moon rock and
moon.
f) saccharoidal gypsum, macrocrystalline gypsum formed by a disordered
accumulation of small crystals, like sugar grains (aspect saccharoid) (finemedium grain). Typical of continental environments with gaps in arid
climates.
GYPSUM DEPOSITS IN PERU
Gypsum deposits are the result of the precipitation of salts in water loaded
arid environment. Exceptionally, it is the product of hydrothermal solutions.
The most important deposits are presented as horizontal mantles with large
size and low power; they are in the departments of Piura, Lambayeque and
La Libertad.
The geological and climatic context of the formation of gypsum deposits, is
similar to that of common salt with the difference that the calcium sulfate
precipitated in less concentrated sodium chloride brines.
Gypsum of marine origin not related to deposits of halite is often associated
with limestone.

The departments of Ayacucho, Cuzco, Junin and Lima, are those with the
greatest potential for gypsum in Peru.
USES
The gypsum has been used in most of the history of mankind. In fact, it is
one of the oldest construction materials. In the beginning, it was obtained
by subjecting the stone aljez fire and calcining. It was used mainly as a
bonding material and coating. Of the gypsum produced, it is used in
agriculture as a crude stabilizer alkaline and saline soils; although the main
destination is the Portland cement industry.
The crushed gypsum is used to improve agricultural land, as their chemistry,
rich in sulfur and calcium, composition made of gypsum an element of great
value as fertilizer soil using mineral pulverized so that their components can
be dispersed on the ground .
One of the most recent applications of gypsum is the "remediation" soil, that
is, the elimination of contaminants thereof, especially heavy metals.
It is used for sulfuric acid.
It is used as a flux material in the ceramic industry.
Gypsum powder used in production processes of Portland cement, which
acts as setting retarder element.
Gypsum is the raw material, milled and cooked in special ovens, used for
the construction plaster, masonry widely used as trim paste, plasters and
renders, or as gripping and paste together.
It is also used for stucco, plaster prefabricated panels and plaster.
It is obtained directly from nature by extraction in the form of gypsum rock
(ore calcium sulfate dihydrate) in quarries or mines and industrially
processed with little alteration. This process involves thermal calcining the
crushed ore, partially or totally eliminating the chemically combined water
of crystallisation. When mixed with water forms a paste that sets and
hardens, reconstituting its original state.
POTENTIAL OFFER OF GYPSUM IN PERU BY REGIONS

GYPSUM APPLICATION CLASSIFIED FOR APPLICATIONS AND


PRODUCTS

PERUVIAN PRODUCTION OF GYPSUM BY REGIONS

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