PRODUCTION PROCESS

&
TECHNOLOGY SELECTION

Technology options
Two basic production process variations
Rotary kiln (open vessel) gypsum powder
production line
Used for the production of Calcium sulphate hemihydrate

Fluidized bed furnace (under steam)

gypsum powder production line
Used for the production of Calcium sulphate hemihydrate

Only difference between the two processes is the

process of calcination

General production process

Gypsum rock mining
Primary Crushing
Grinding
Calcining

Aging

Packaging

Gypsum rock mining

Open pit mining: the process of mining a near
surface deposit by means of a surface pit
excavation.
The quarry process begins by first removing the earth

(overburden) over the deposit using excavators.

Then gypsum ore is then drilled and blasted to extract

the material.
Jack hammers equipped with compressor and drill

wagon are used to drill through the deposits and Light

gunpowder is used as explosive.

Primary crushing and grinding

Calcination (Heating)
CaSO42H2O + heat CaSO40.5H2O + 1.5H2O
(released as steam)

Calcination occurs at approximately

120 to 150C (250 to 300F)
1 ton of gypsum rock calcines to
about 0.85 ton of plaster of Paris

Types of calcination
I. Rotary kiln (open vessel) calcination
Gypsum powder is heated in a Rotary kiln. The
product that is produced is called -hemihydrate.

Du
st

Fuel

Material

Contd

Fluidized bed furnace (under

steam) calcination

This process is called thermal processing and a

Fluidized bed furnace (dryer) is used for the
process.
The product that is produced is called
Stea
-hemihydrate.
m

Fuel

Material

II.

Du
st

Aging and packaging

Calcined gypsum powder is lifted into
the finished product silo through a
bucket elevator for intermediate
storage.
Then it is transported to automatic
weighing and packaging machine in
convenient weights.