process role in making

plasterboard
• WHAT IS PROCESS
Process carries out the transformation of raw materials into desired product by designing, implementing, controlling and optimizing the process

flow in a chemical industry

CONTEXT
Raw materials
Calicination of gypsum
Mixing forming
Dryer role
 Introduction
Process of making plasterboards is a procedure carried out in standard manner of calcining natural gypsum under a control temperature and grinding pressure in a flash calcinier transforming calcium sulphate dihydrate to calcium
sulphate hemihydrate (stucco).

Further this stucco is mixed with process water and other additives inside mixer and calcium sulphate hemihydrate with excess water is formed to slurry which is holded between the paper and a definite core structure is formed
which is cut as per the standard at cutter .

Then the board is dried inside the dryer that is evaporation of water inside board is done at controlled temperature and humidity and dry board of our standard which is calcium sulphate dihydrate is formed which is our plasterboard
 RAW MATERIALS AND SPECIFICATION

NATURAL GYSUM PAPER

SPECIFICATIONS: SPECIFICATIONS:
ROCKSIZE GSM
(50-150MM) 180-190
FREE MOISTURE COBB
>1% 20-30 gsm (1min)
COMBINED WATER 40-50 gsm (3min)
18% Wet Expansion
PURITY 15-20mm(1000ml)
92% Free moisture
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS (6-10%)
Sio2,Fe2o3,So3,Cao,Al2o3,Mgo, Water absorption
<900seconds,>1800seconds
Nao,K2o,Tio2,Cl2,Nacl,P2o5,Sr
 ADDITIVES AND THEIR SPECIFICATION

DRYADDITIVES WETADDITIVES
SPECIFICATION SPECIFICATION
HEAT
STRACH WRA RETARDER
RESISTANCE Appearance
Appearance
ACCERLERATOR
Moisture PH Density
SSA
6-8 Solid content PH
1050-1150
Passing Density Active content
Free moisture
150micron 0.1-0.4
Appearance Hemi-hydrate
white 1.5-4.5 STMP SILICON OIL
Density Appearance Density
GLASSFIBRE VERMICULITE Free moisture 96-98
Size-6mm and Chemical Purity
12mm properties Density
CALCINATION OF GYPSUM

ROLE OF CALCINATION
To produce calicum sulphate hemihydrate rehydrates quickly to form a porous and solid gypsum matrix

CALCINATION CHEMISTRY
 CALCINATION MECHANISM
GYPSUM STUCCO OVERCALCINATED

T=>180C
T=90-165C

Di-hydrate Hemihydrate Anhydrate(soluble)

CaSO42H2O CaSO41/2H2O CaSO4 (III)
M=172 g/mole M=145 g/mole M=136 g/mole

T°>600°C

Anhydrate(insoluble)
CaSO4 (II)
 CALCINATION PARAMETErs

Calcination temperature
First order parameter for DH and AIII
 Homogeneity/hot spot can be source of AIII
 Heating rate may impact cracks formation
Calcination humidity
Secondary factor for AIII formation
 Probably impacts cracks formation
 Does not impact Residual Gypsum
Gypsum/stucco particle size distribution
 Both directly/indirectly impact the calcination rate

Grinding pressure
PARAMETERS RANGE
 Impacts the SSA of stucco
 Impacts on passing of 150 micron stucco
Residence time AIII 5-7%
 Large dispersion of exposure times Temperature 155-165°C Residual-gypsum(RG) >4%
Humidity 200-400g/kg Passing >92%
Residence time 2-6 seconds Specific surface area 500-550 m2/kg
Pressure 70bar Combined water 6.2%
 MIXING AND
CHEMISTRY of mixing
FORMING
Hemihydrate hydrates back to dihydrate with help of excess water
And builds crystal structure with the addition of additives and improves strength

Disintegration Dissolution Precipitation Crystal core

crystalliasation

CaSO41/2H2O + 3/2H2o (excess water)= CaSO42H2O

 TEMPERATURE RISE SET
TRS MEASURES THE HYDRATION RATE
Completes 80% of the reaction at cutter
Remaining reaction completes before dryer
Based on TRS we can adjust HRA and RETARDER

CaSO41/2H2O
Dissolution

H Ca2+ So42-
Crystallisation

CaSO42H2O
CUTTER TEMPERATURE-INITIAL TEMPERATURE
TRS = X 100
FINAL TEMPERATURE-INTIAL TEMPERATURE
 dry and wet additives
Plasterboard additives
Primary additives:
Water (55 to 100 wt% of stucco)
Foam (10% to 50 vol% of board)
Accelerator (0 to 2,5 wt% of stucco)
Starch (some g/m² to 800g/m²!)
Fluidizer (0 to 100g/m²)
Retarder (0 to 20ml/m²)

Secondary additives:
Glass fibers (up to 2,5%) Fire boards
Micro silica:
Unexfoliated-vermiculite
Clay
Wax of silicon (up to 1wt%) - Moisture resistant boards
Others for anti burning, antisag, anti termite …
 ROLE OF ADDITIVES AND impact on PROCESS

Starches Accelerator : HRA

Bond starches: Provide seeds for gypsum

To glue paper and gypsum core to improve dry and rehumidified
crystallization
bonds
Gypsum particles
Reinforcement of the core; reduction of effects of burnings
The finest is the better
(due to drier and/or soluble salts)

Migration:
•Tgel (when starch swells)
Shorten the knife set
Also initial set and fluidity
•Viscosity hat 96°C (similar to T inside boards during drying)
No significant impact on dryer rehydration
Can be balanced with retarder
Gluing
•Low Tgel
high migration
GOOD BOND STARCH
Additional benefit on strength
Smaller and more crystals in the core
•High Tgel
low migration
BAD BOND STARCH
 ROLE OF ADDITIVES AND impact on PROCESS
RETARDER WATER REDUCING AGENT
INTIAL SET Water gauge reduction
It is used to delay the intial setting in mixer
Aviod lumps WRA maintains slurry fluidity on
Stiffing time 26-28 seconds reducing water gauge
SLURRY FLUIDITY Margin in dryer load
It helps the slurry to flow and spread on
forming table Can save drying cost
Slump 165-175mm We can increase line speed

Foam PROCESS WATER

To reduce board weight CHEMICAL REACTION
Unstable To hydrate hemihydrate in dihydrate
For light weight boards To have a low viscosity
Bubbles size of 300-500 mm
To reduce total cost of raw materials Mixing, spreading and extrusion
Stable soap To reduce board weight because of drying (only 18.6% of
Bubbles size of 200-300 mm (less risk of water are needed for hydration and we use more than
blisters) 65% of water respected to dry stucco
To improve core and bonds (dry and wet)
Possibility to reduce starch and water gauge
 MIXING & FORMING final product
Plasterboard = a composite material

Microscopic Air Voids

Plasterboard Liners
Gypsum Core
Starch to attach Paper –Core Interface
Bubble Voids (Vb)
PAPER PLY

FOAM VOIDS CORE STRENGTH EVAPORATION VOIDS

 DRYER ROLE
TO EVAPORATE EXCESS WATER

Ca SO4 + ½ H2O %x H2O Ca SO4 + 2 H2O + %y H2O Caso42H2o

Stucco + water = Gypsum + water

Gypsumproportion for reaction  only need 18% of water
Stoichiometric
In the process water stucco ratios between 65% to 85% (or more!) depending on the plant.
The excess water is necessary for forming conditions

Exhaust fresh air combustion air

natural gas
burner recirculation fan inlet plenum

Return
plenum
 DRYING MECHANISM
1.Heating phase
Board temperature up-to 85 to 95°C
2.Fast drying
High drying rate
Possibility to apply high air temperature 200 to 300°C (400 to 600 °F)
3.Critical drying
Sensitive to burning
Request lower air temperature
50% of drying time
 DRYER PARAMETERS
Temperature, Velocity, and Humidity

Driving force for Drying is Psat (board) – Pvapor (air)

At equillibrium Heat transfer = energy for evaporation  drying rate  Tair – T

board

Low relative humidity in dryer, absolute humidity 200 to 500 g/kg

Strong impact of liner on drying (board temperature higher than wet bulb)

Higher air humidity  higher board temperature

Air temperature
The hotter, the quicker to dry
Air velocity
The higher, the quicker to dry
Air humidity
The higher, the less energy is needed
The higher, higher the board temperature
But too high values means burned boards or blisters
 Modes of temperature control
►T-inlet: set point based on experience

►T-mid: set point based on experience OR calculated as a function of Evap & Belt speed

►ΔT = T-inlet–T-outlet: set point based on calculation

ΔT value is proportional to excess water to evaporate & belt-speed

The 3 main key parameters (air temperature, air velocity and air humidity) involved in the
drying process :

►Are monitored for an advanced control

►In all cases, it is key to control air pressure and air humidity(at least by manual measurements)

ΔT mode distributes energy to each zone with respect to the water quantity to evaporate
following the three drying phases

►Average : Z1 40%, Z2 45%, Z3 15% → K zone% factors adjustable

 Automatic drying control
1)T middle auto : Auto middle temperature
2)ΔT= Tin –Tout (delta )
T mid SP
Zone2
Zone1
Zone3
These modes have an automatic temperature set point calculated
The temperature targets are calculated continuously based on the amount of water to evaporate

Only the last zone should be adjusted by the operators

for ΔT mode
Operator adjustments for a good board quality
-Global coefficient or per zone
-For delta T (ΔT),
-First zones : automatic control
-Last zone : manual adjustment
DELTA = T PRINCIPLE
Our ΔT control is proportional to the excess water to evaporate within its zone
The more the water to evaporate in a zone, more is the energy required and therefore the
higher the ΔT set point. (same effect for line speed increase)

Hot blowing air

T inlet

Water quantity in the boards Ev

Latent energy to evaporate L
Returning air colder
& more humid
T outlet
ΔT is a difference of temperatures between inlet air and outlet air
ΔT = T inlet –T outlet
𝑬𝒗×𝑳
𝐦×𝑪𝒑(𝒘,𝑻)×Δ𝑻
Energy to give to the boards to remove the water
Energy lost by the air (in zone)
m= Recirculation air mass flow (fan)
Cp(w,T) = Air specific heat
 Residual moisture
The key parameter in measuring drying quality is residual moisture that is the water
remaining inside the board after drying
It is the reference method to assess the absolute humidity of board
Suggested target = 0.1-0.4% is very narrow
It is very important to check regularly the RM to know the drying quality. RM
measurement for different products is time consuming and represents lot of work
Residual moisture procedure
Standard boards

1. Prepare your datasheet with different oven conditions

2. Put the samples into the oven for 24h at your reference
condition, the driest( suggested: 40°C-10%HR)
3. Weigh the samples
4. Measurement with Handheld sensor
5. Repeat steps 3-5 for all the oven conditions by increasing
the humidity with the same samples. Humidity maps by Lab Test, Handheld (PMT) and Online Measurements (IMPS)
(FB=Forming Belt, M=Middle and WH=Warehouse) – Kallo Plant Sept 2016