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Daniel DALIGAND: Chairman of CEN/TC 241 Gypsum and gypsum products - General Secretary, Syndicat national des industries du plâtre
INTRODUCTION
Known since antiquity, plaster is one of the oldest man-made construction materials. Although it is still used in its traditional form of powder mixed with water to make plaster, it is in the form of prefabricated factory elements (tiles, slabs, boards) that its use is developing today to meet construction needs.
Gypsum is also used in other sectors: breweries, bakeries, and the manufacture of molds for crockery and sanitaryware.
Gypsum is obtained by dehydration of gypsum – natural rock or by-product of certain industries – which is a hydrated calcium sulfate with the formula CaSO 4 . 2 H 2 O.
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Plaster
Gypsum and anhydrite
Economic data
Gypsum around the world
The United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) estimates global gypsum reserves at 2,300 million tonnes. However, not all existing deposits have been identified, and potential resources are certainly higher.
The United States and Canada have the largest identified reserves, estimated at 730 and 450 million tonnes respectively. Europe has around 800 million tonnes of reserves...
Bibliography
Referrals
Standards and regulations
The adoption by the European Council on December 21 1988 of Directive 89-106 on "the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to construction products" led manufacturers to speed up the process of standardizing their products within the European framework.
In 1990, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) set up Technical Committee...
Organizations
National Association of Gypsum Industries (SNIP)
Union des métiers du plâtre et de l'isolation (UMPI / FFB) http://www.platreisolation.com
Union nationale artisanale métiers et techniques du plâtre (UNA -MTP/CAPEB)
European Gypsum Industry Association Eurogypsum
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