Design And Production Of Ceiling Board Using Plaster Of Paris (P.O.P) Gypsum Material

1.0     INTRODUCTION

This project deals with the design and production of ceiling board using Plaster of Paris [POP] gypsum materials. Plaster of Paris [POP] is a white powdery mixture of gypsum. It has been named such because the first deposit of gypsum was found in Paris. This powder when mixed with water solidifies, but without losing its volume. During manufacturing process, the gypsum is heated and as such, it does not necessarily require any high heat treatment like ceramics and clays [Worrall 1999]. Because of its property to harden with just water, it is used in a number of areas, but most notably for molding decorative objects.

According to Cornelis and Hurlbut (1985), plaster results from the calcinations of gypsum (CaS0₄.2H₂0), which partially dehydrates to produce a hemi-hydrate (CaS0₄.¹/₂H₂O). Although plaster of Paris a widely used today: its origin dated 9,000 years old and were found in Amotolia and Syria. It is also know fact those 5000 years ago, the Egyptians burnt gypsum in open-air fire, then crushed it into powder and finally mixed with water to make jointing material for the blocks of monuments, used model of plaster taken directly from the human body.

1.1     LITERATURE REVIEW

Plaster is one of the oldest known synthetic building materials: it was used by the Egyptians at least 4000 years ago in the construction of the pyramids, and the Greeks were producing decorative plaster work by 500 BC. The chemistry of the conversion of gypsum to plaster was also investigated early on by chemists such as Le Chatelier (1850 – 1936) and van’t Hoff (1852 – 1911).

Plaster is made by heating gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) powder, thus converting it to calcium sulphate hemihydrate (CaSO4.½H2O). The hemihydrate is also known as stucco or Plaster of Paris. Probably so named because of the very large deposit of pure gypsum found beneath Paris. When water is added to the stucco, the material rehydrates to give a solid mass of gypsum. This rehydration is accompanied by an increase in temperature and a slight expansion of the plaster, causing the gypsum to perfectly fill a mould.

2.0     RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES

          The aim of this project is to design and produce ceiling board using Plaster of Paris (POP) gypsum materials.

The objectives of the study are highlighted below:

• To produce durable light weight building material for ceiling
• To determine the strength of the ceiling board
• To determine its durability.
• To determine the volume and density of the ceiling board.

3.0     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope and limitation of this project is basically the design and production of ceiling board using plaster of Paris [POP] gypsum material. In the project , the density of the sample will be determined and the flexural test will be carried out to determine the strength of the sample made up of composite quantity of POP plaster, water and Fibre [know as villas] when subjected to loading.

4.0     JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY

The use of plaster of Paris [POP] gypsum ceiling board for ceiling finishing should be adopted and improved because the problems associated with asbestos, which have been used as ceiling finishes for years but with the use of plaster of paris [POP] gypsum material as ceiling finishes which offers sufficient sound insulation and considerable absorption of heart from the roof and hence provide employment opportunity to the producer.

7.0     CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

7.1     CONCLUSION

Usually, ceiling is the top inside surface of the room. It is an overhead interior or exterior surface that covers the upper limit of the room. Ceiling is usually termed also as finishing’s in the construction of buildings and it is not a structural element. Only that its dead weight/self weight and the imposed load on it is being transferred to the structural member carrying or supporting the roof on the structure or building.

Through, Asbestos are predominantly being used as ceiling materials in buildings of which possess many health hazards. Then, different effort was made to produce ceiling boards from other eco-friendly and less hazardous materials, which prompt the use of Gypsum materials as better ceiling materials than asbestos.

From the water absorption test carried out on the samples, the result shows that plaster of paris (P.O.P) ceiling board has an average 39.49 (%) percent water absorption rate than asbestos ceiling board which has an absorption rate of 0.5 (%) percent. Therefore, it is deduced from the test that plaster of paris (P.O.P) or gypsum board ceiling readily absorb water in case there is any leakage of water from the roof.

It was also deduced from flexural strength test carried on the (P.O.P) boards and on the asbestos boards, the result from the test show the plaster of Paris ceiling boards has a mean flexural strength of 2. N/mm² compared with that of the asbestos of 0.6 N/mm². This, therefore conclude that plaster of Paris (P.O.P) boards posses sufficient strength and durability than asbestos.

7.2     RECOMMENDATION

Plaster of Paris (P.O.P) boards has enough strength to withstand damages due to moisture activates and also more durable than asbestos. Except for its economics perspective as it is usually expensive than the asbestos, P.O.P boards should have gain more use than the asbestos. Therefore, the following recommendations were made base on the carried out projects

1. The production of gypsum boards put little or lesser pressure on the environment, which makes the boards not hazardous to the health.
2. The boards possess sufficient strength and prove more durable than asbestos, therefore it is prescribe to be use as ceiling finishing.
3. The gypsum boards are sound absorbs, electrical insulator, and therefore can also be used as demarcating panels and partition walls.
4. O.P board used in partition walls can also be used in the installation of dry wall systems for commercial and industrial buildings