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Global gypsum news Global insulation news Drying technologies Russian gypsum industry Active multifunctional insulation products
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Contents Subscribe Ad Index
MARCH 2014 MAGAZINE
Solutions for your success

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Contents Subscribe
GLOBAL GYPSUM
Ad Index
This issue’s front cover...

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Grenzebach: The name Grenzebach MARCH 2014 MAGAZINE
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struction blocks, panels and ceiling tiles. GRENZEBACH BSH GmbH
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Editor
Dr Robert McCaffrey
Welcome to the March 2014 issue of Global Gypsum Magazine, which, as usual, features rob@propubs.com
the latest global gypsum news, technology and trends as well as global insulation news
and features. Regular readers will notice a fresh new look, which we hope will make the Deputy editor
magazine easier to read and more modern in design terms. We hope you like it! Dr Peter Edwards
peter.edwards@propubs.com
Looking at the global gypsum news in this issue, we see several ‘good news’ stories for
the industry, especially in some of the regions most affected by the economic downturn.
United States Gypsum saw a net income in 2013, the first time that it has managed this Editorial assistant
Amy Saunders
since 2007 and the start of the Great Recession. Also in the US, Eagle Materials has amy.saunders@propubs.com
reported strong results for the third quarter of its financial year. With many of the other
US-based wallboard producers in private hands, these two firms offer a good barometer
for the performance of the US gypsum industry as a whole. See page 30 for more on the Web editor
David Perilli
North American wallboard market in the past year. david.perilli@propubs.com
Elsewhere in the issue, Michael Schinabeck of BASF Construction Solutions explains
how clay impurities can affect wallboard production (Page 12), Grenzebach BSH’s Commercial director
Reinhold Scheiblich introduces the cross-flow screen-belt dryer (Page 14), there is a Paul Brown
detailed look at the Russian wallboard industry (Page 18) and interviews with Michael paul.brown@propubs.com
Mobile: (+44) (0) 7767 475998
McCamley from New West Gypsum Recycling (Page 24) and Markus Müller of
Sika Services (Page 28). Also look out for our introduction to cement (and gypsum)
containing boards (Page 16), which was written to accompany the recent Global Business development executive
Sören Rothfahl
Boards Conference & Exhibition in London. Most of the content for the boards article
soeren.rothfahl@propubs.com
is online, which can be accessed via the QR code or bit.ly link. The Russian gypsum Mobile: (+44) (0) 7850 669169
industry article also has more content online. Look out for more ‘Read more’ articles in
future issues.
Those with an interest in the global insulation industry can turn to the positive news in Company manager Sally Hope
the Global Insulation Section (Page 35). In the US, Owens Corning has turned a profit sally.hope@propubs.com
of US$204m in 2013 and will issue dividends to its shareholders for the first time in Subscriptions Amanda Crow
14 years. There is also a new AFICO fibreglass plant in Saudi Arabia, a growing region amanda.crow@propubs.com
for insulation applications. This issue’s insulation article, starting on page 37, looks at Administrator Sonal Patel
active multifunctional insulation products (AMIPS). How can these be taken out of the sonal.patel@propubs.com
laboratory and into the real world?
For full details on article submission, please see:
We hope that you enjoy this new-look issue of Global Gypsum www.GlobalGypsum.com
Magazine!
Dr Peter Edwards ISSN: 1463-9661
Deputy Editor
Published by Pro Global Media Ltd
First Floor, Adelphi Court 1 East Street,
Epsom, Surrey, UK KT17 1BB
SUBSCRIBE TODAY - SEE PAGE 40 Printed on Forest Stewardship Council Tel: +44 (0)1372 743837 (switchboard)
• Global gypsum news and technology (FSC®) certified papers by Wyndeham Fax: +44 (0)1372 743838
Grange, a company with ISO 14001:2004
• Global insulation news and technology environmental certification.
• Your own print copy, on time, every issue!
www.GlobalGypsum.com Global Gypsum Magazine March 2014 3

CONTENTS: MARCH 2014 Subscribe Ad Index
Global Gypsum
7 Global gypsum news
USG generates net income for the first time since 2007; Knauf
14 invests in new gypsum plant in Brazil; Volma buys Belgips.
12 Challenges with clay-contaminated stuccos

BASF Construction Solutions presents a new dispersant that
reliably reduces water demand without influencing slurry flow.
14 From the proven Grenzebach Jet-Type Dryer to the

new Cross-Flow Screen Belt Dryer
18 Grenzebach presents the first drying technology designed

specifically for sensitive boards.
16 An introduction to cement-containing boards

A brief introduction to the different types of cement boards.
18 Steady growth for the Russian gypsum industry

24 Amy Saunders provides an overview of the gypsum industry in
Russia, recent events and the outlook for the near future.
24 In discussion: Michael McCamley

Michael McCamley, from New West Gypsum Recycling (NWGR),
outlines the company’s recycling process of gypsum wallboard
and the current and future market drivers.
28 In discussion: Markus Müller

28
Markus Müller, of Sika, discusses the use of additives in the
gypsum industry for reduced water consumption and im-
proved setting time control.
30 A year in the North American gypsum industry

A review of the last 12 months of the North American industry.
30 Global Insulation
35 Insulation news
AFICO inaugurates new fibreglass insulation plant in Saudi
Arabia; Owens Corning to resume paying dividends.
37 AMIPS- A new generation of insulation products

37 Grazyna Mitchener, of Polychemtech Ltd, describes the devel-
opment of active multifunctional insulation products (AMIPS).
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GLOBAL GYPSUM NEWS
US: National Gypsum abandons plans for Australia: Boral reports 73%
tyre-burning power plant jump in half year profit
N ational Gypsum has halted its plans for a West Milton power
generation plant fuelled by burning tyres due to the plummet-
ing price of natural gas and protests from local residents.
B oral has reported that its half year under-
lying net profit jumped by 73% on the
back of improved housing and road con-
National Gypsum planned to buy steam and electricity produced struction markets, cost cutting measures and
by the plant, but with the price of natural gas considerably lower, dry weather conditions. The company saw its
using the tyre-burning power generator no longer offered cost underlying net profit rise to US$81.5m in the
savings. The company stated that it still firmly believes the En-Tire six months to 31 December 2013. However,
project is environmentally sound and would have provided much- the company also warned of a slowdown in
needed jobs, but that it must also consider the objections of the activity and earnings in the second half of the
White Deer community, with which it has a good relationship. financial year, which runs until 30 June 2014.
“I’m glad to hear that,” White Deer township supervisor Don Boral recorded a net loss of US$23.6m
Wilver said. “That speaks well of them as a partner in the community.” for the half year but this figure includes
The Tyre Burner Team, a group that protested the plant, plans US$106m in one-off accounting charges that
to share its steps with other organisations and remains ready to re- are related to its gypsum plasterboard joint
commit to stopping the project should any such plans re-emerge. venture with USG, which was due to be com-
En-Tire Logistics LLC of Bedford, Texas, which would have oper- pleted on 28 February 2014. Boral said that
ated the facility, plans to pursue a tyre-derived fuel plant elsewhere this will be offset by gains in the second half
in Pennsylvania. The company is disappointed over the demise of of the financial year.
the White Deer Energy Project, said CEO Willess Vincent. “We will be Chief executive officer Mike Kane high-
looking for another site for the facility and will absolutely look in lighted a US$20.8m turnaround in the
Pennsylvania,” he said, but would not disclose where. Vincent signed Australian building products division and a
the written request sent to the state Department of Environmental 6% lift in its largest division, building materi-
Protection to shelve the air-quality permit approval the agency had als and cement. “The rise was driven by strong
granted the project in September 2013. project activity, very dry weather conditions
in New South Wales and Queensland and
the benefit of restructuring and overhead
cost reduction initiatives,” said Kane. “Despite
expected underlying performance improve-
ments, there will be a skew of earnings to the
first half compared to the second half due to
higher major project volumes, dry weather
conditions in the first half and the impact of
the gypsum joint venture.”
The company achieved US$54.7m in
cost savings, much of which came from cut-
ting 1000 jobs. Boral plans to use much of a
US$453m payment from its gypsum partner
Tyres may be incinerated to provide the energy required to power cement plants, such as at Cemex’s USG to reduce its US$1.26bn net debt.
plant in Louisville, Kentucky, but not yet at gypsum facilities.
US: CertainTeed invites professionals to enter international gypsum competition
C ertainTeed has invited building professionals to enter

the ninth Saint-Gobain Gypsum International Trophy
Awards, which are held every two years.
The competition promotes gypsum-related skills in the
categories of innovation, residential, mixed use, sector
specific, finishing applications and gypsum board crafts-
“We are always excited to review projects and recog- manship and design.
nise those that show creative and exceptional uses of CertainTeed will select the top projects completed or pro-
CertainTeed gypsum products,” said Dave Engelhardt, presi- jected to be completed between April 2012 and February
dent of CertainTeed Gypsum. “The Saint-Gobain Gypsum 2014 and work with principals on project presentations for
International Trophy is a great way to show our appre- the international competition. A representative from each
ciation and respect for the top talent among our building of the chosen projects will be awarded an all-expenses paid
professional partners. Balancing the complexity of material trip to Berlin to compete in the finals, meet counterparts
performance specifications, meeting client needs and stay- from other countries and view projects submitted from
ing on time and on budget is a challenging feat. To further around the world. The winning projects will also receive
contribute to a project with an outstanding, notable design national and worldwide publicity, including press releases
is worthy of recognition.” and social media promotion.

GLOBAL GYPSUM NEWS
India: Gypsum seized in illegal UK: British Gypsum installs innovative Thistle
mining campaign Magnetic Plaster magnetic wallboard
I n a campaign against illegal gypsum min-

ing, local police seized 2500t of gypsum
from Dantoor in the Bikaner district, Jaipur
S aint-Gobain’s UK subsidiary, British Gypsum, has installed an in-
novative new product, Thistle Magnetic Plaster, at a subterranean
former Royal Air Force (RAF) communication bunker that has been
state, on 5 February 2014. converted into a family home and guest house.
Mining equipment was seized and 15 The magnetic wallboard was installed in the kitchen, the reception,
cases were registered. On the third day of the bedrooms and the gym area. The product is highly durable and
the campaign a team was prepared to claim provides a smooth and attractive surface.
gypsum from a plaster of Paris manufactur- The property owner, Jamie Brown, said, “The Thistle Magnetic
ing unit in the Bikaner region. The owner Plaster has been a great addition in the kid’s bedroom, as it has given
was not able to provide the purchase them the freedom to get creative by interacting with the surfaces
vouchers or state the source of the gypsum. around them.” On applying the plaster in the guest house, he added
“We received the information and a team that, “As with all guest houses, there are often notices and posters
was sent. The Bikaner region has a lot of that we need to put up to inform our visitors of important informa-
gypsum that, at times, reaches the plants tion. With our new Thistle Magnetic walls, we can display information
illegally,” said Rohit Mahajan, deputy inspec- wherever we need, without it affecting the aesthetics.”
tor general of vigilance (mining).
The police have registered eight cases in
Jhunjhunu and five cases in Nagaur. Officials
asserted that due to fear of action against
them during the campaign, several illegal
mining mafias had halted their activities.
However, they agreed that further efforts
are required to curb it completely.
“At several places gypsum can be found
on the top layer of the soil. To extract it,
there is no need for sophisticated equip-
ment. Stopping illegal mining activities
in these areas is difficult, but certainly the
campaign has struck fear among the ma-
fias,” added Mahajan.
Police claim that instead of fining the
culprits, cases have been registered against
them and if they are found to be involved in
illegal mining again, stricter action may well
be taken. British Gypsum’s Thistle Magnetic Plaster was hung with great effect in the kitchen of the converted
bunker in Nottinghamshire, transforming a wall into a notice-board.
US: USG generates net income in 2013, for the first time since 2007
U SG Corporation has reported fourth quarter 2013 net

sales of US$915m, up by 12% from fourth quarter 2012
net sales of US$815m. USG’s fourth quarter 2013 operating
“We’re pleased to have delivered a fourth consecutive
quarter of positive operating results with improved per-
formances in all major businesses,” said James S Metcalf,
profit was US$60m compared to an US$8m operating loss chairman, president and CEO. “Our plan to win is working
in the fourth quarter of 2012. USG’s fourth quarter 2013 and we expect to improve upon our results as we capitalise
net loss was US$3m, compared to a US$13m net loss in the on the increasing opportunity in our end markets.”
same period of 2012. USG recorded full year 2013 net sales of US$3.6bn, an
USG’s adjusted net income was US$22m in the fourth operating profit of US$258m and a net income of US$47m,
quarter of 2013 compared to an adjusted net loss of with an adjusted net income of US$73m. For the full year
US$52m in the fourth quarter of 2012. The adjusted net of 2012, net sales were US$3.2bn, operating profit was
loss in the fourth quarter of 2013 excluded, among other US$73m and net loss was US$126m, with an adjusted net
items, a US$16m pension settlement charge related to a loss of US$124m.
lump-sum payout to terminated employees that lowered “2013 was a foundational year for USG, however our
the pension obligation by approximately US$80m. The work is not done,” Metcalf said. “We remain committed to
adjusted net loss in the fourth quarter of 2012 excluded, keeping our breakeven low and delivering our balance
among other items, a US$55m gain from the sale of the sheet, while seeking organic growth opportunities as we
corporation’s European operations. build the USG of the future.”

Gypsum granules magnified x100.
:
DAY 4
Gypsum
© Claudius Peters
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GLOBAL GYPSUM NEWS
US: Eagle Materials reports strong third US/Australia: USG/Boral joint venture
quarter results wins Commission clearance
U S gypsum wallboard producer Eagle Materials re-

ported a 51% increase in third quarter operating
earnings from its wallboard and paperboard sector in its
T he Commerce Commission of New Zealand has
granted clearance to USG and Boral to enter into a
joint venture. The Commission was satisfied that the pro-
2014 financial year. The company attributed the growth posed joint venture will not have, or would not be likely
to improved sales volumes and higher unit prices. to have, the effect of substantially lessening competition
Steven R Rowley, Eagle Materials president and CEO, in separate markets for the supply of metal studs and
said, “We are extremely pleased with our wallboard and tracks, metal ceiling battens and metal ceiling grid.
paperboard businesses, as they both continue to operate “In all three of these markets, the proposed joint
at very high levels of operational efficiency and our sales venture would face competition from a number of dif-
opportunities continue to increase as the demand for ferent suppliers including both domestic manufacturers
wallboard increases during the construction recovery.” and importers,” said New Zealand Commission chairman
Mark Berry.
Belarus/Russia: Belgips sold to Russia’s Volma
B elarus-based Belgips was sold to Russia’s Volma Corpora-

tion in accordance with Belarus President’s Decree No 34
‘Concerning public joint stock venture Belgips.’ The decree
existing production facilities and to construct the new plant.
The gypsum wallboard production line is to be modern-
ised within two years and its capacity increased to 10Mm2/
was passed on 16 January 2014. yr. Apart from that, the plant to produce gypsum-based
The decree provides for selling 1.98m Belarus-owned building materials in the village of Gatovo is to be built and
shares of Belgips, 99.5% of the authorised capital of the commissioned by 1 July 2018. The plant will manufacture up
company, to Volma at a market price that was in effect on 1 to 500,000m2/yr of gypsum partition blocks, 100,000t/yr of
April 2012, without holding an auction or a contest. dry mixes and 30Mm2/yr of gypsum wallboard. No jobs will
The deal was conditioned on Volma Corporation sign- be cut before 1 July 2018.
ing an investment agreement with Belarus. The investment The Minsk City Council will earmark a land plot for Bel-
agreement provides for the upgrade of Belgips’ production gips to build and maintain the facilities stipulated by the
facilities and construction of a plant to produce gypsum- investment project. The land plot will be provided without
based building materials in the village of Gatovo, Minsk an auction and a 99-year lease agreement will be signed.
District. In line with the document, the new facilities are to The lease agreement on the land plot at Kozlova Street will
be constructed on a step-by-step basis simultaneously with be extended until 1 July 2019.
the development, evaluation and approval of the necessary The investors will not be able to use the shares of the
project documentation at every phase of the works. Belarusian company at their discretion until they fulfil the
The investment agreement provides that at least Eu- obligations stipulated by the investment agreement. If the
ro43m will be invested by 1 July 2018. Euro24.7m of that investors fail to fulfil the obligations, Belarus reserves the
amount is to be transferred to the Belarusian company by right to take back the shares on a non-repayable basis.
30 June 2016. The investment will be used to upgrade the
Belarus’ only gypsum wallboard plant, formerly owned by Belgips, is located in Minsk and was originally commissioned in 1948.

GLOBAL GYPSUM NEWS
Brazil: Knauf invests US$61.5m in UK: Siniat opens new laboratory in Somerset
a Camaçari gypsum plant
K nauf plans to set up a 20Mm2/yr plant in

Camaçari in the state of Bahia with an invest-
S iniat has invested more than Euro0.30m in the construction of a new
laboratory facility at its manufacturing plant in Portbury, Somerset.
The lab provides a high-specification environment for Siniat’s pro-
ment of US$61.5m. Commissioning of the plant duction, maintenance and quality assurance teams and has enabled
is due in 2014. The plant will produce gypsum it to consolidate all three functions, which were previously based at
products and associated metallic structures for different parts of the site, in one central, integrated location at the
construction systems. It will be the second such heart of the plant. Construction work began in May 2013 and is now
plant in Brazil after the first in Rio de Janeiro. complete, with the lab fully operational.
Knauf’s total capacity in Brazil will grow from The facility will also act as an area where Siniat can welcome custom-
24Mm2/yr to 44Mm2/yr of gypsum products. ers and other visitors to discuss its latest innovations and demonstrate
key product performance capabilities such as fire and water resistance.
The project is just one step in a long-term vision for improving the
US: CertainTeed joins forces site, said Stephane Mettavant, plant manager. “We’ve embarked on an
ambitious programme of change for our Bristol plant since becoming
with Mike Holmes Siniat (in October 2012). It’s focused on improving facilities for our
B uilding industry expert and long-time

advocate for healthy homes, Mike
Holmes, has joined CertainTeed to pro-
customers and our employees and creating an environment in which
we can share our expertise,” he said. “The programme has already de-
livered tangible results and has helped us to streamline our processes
mote indoor air quality (IAQ) awareness. throughout the plant,” said Mettavant. “We have been successful
“Many things in the home produce gas; in reducing the number of customer complaints that we receive to
the furniture and paint and the carpeting industry-leading levels and the new lab represents the next stage of
and cabinets. Breathing in these chemicals reinforcing that quality assurance.
on a daily basis may be dangerous to your Siniat was formerly known as Lafarge Plasterboard. It was acquired
health. It’s a real concern,” said Jones. from Lafarge by Belgium’s Etex group at the end of 2011 and began
trading as Siniat in October 2012.
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GLOBAL GYPSUM: ADDITIVES
Dr Michael Schinabeck, BASF Construction Solutions GmbH
Challenges with clay-contaminated stuccos
Inherent composition variability within gypsum sources can cause additives such as
dispersants, retarders and foaming agents to react in unpredictable ways. Clay impurities
can be particularly problematic. Here BASF Construction Solutions presents a new dispersant
that can reduce water demand reliably, even with varying types and amounts of clay.
I n the gypsum wallboard production process

the stucco is mixed with water to obtain a flow-
able slurry, which is distributed on a forming table.
Newer PCE technology has a comb-like structure
to enable electrosteric repulsion. This in turn leads
to higher efficiency and improved water reduction
Further additives like dispersants, foaming agents, potential. Therefore PCE could be used as a dosage
accelerator, retarder or starch are needed to opti- efficient substitute for BNS at the same water stucco
mise the process and achieve a final board with the ratio or as an additive to realise further water reduc-
required properties. tion (25-40%) at the same dosage (See Figure 1).
Without the use of a dispersant, 70-90% of water In some natural stuccos BNS and PCEs can, very
relative to stucco is required for proper flow behav- surprisingly, give a completely different performance
ior. Due to the fact that 100g of CaSO4.0.5H2O only (See Figure 2). In BASF research, BNS and PCE were
requires 18.62g of water to rehydrate to CaSO4.2H2O, seen to cause a strong thickening effect at low dosages
the theoretical water demand of stucco is only 18.62%. (<0.2% by weight of stucco). With these amounts of
Excess water is necessary to attain the required rheol- dispersant, water demand to achieve the target slump
ogy for the fast and optimised production process. flow (18-19cm) at constant setting times (2:00 – 2:20
min:s) was higher than cases without any disper-
sant. Furthermore it was evident that higher BNS
dosages were needed (ca. 0.4 to 0.5% by weight of
Initial value stucco) to gain saturation for robust processing.
0.8
Dosage The saturation point for PCE was over 0.5%.
Efficiency To gain understanding of this unexpected
0.7 behaviour, BASF Construction Solutions started
Water:stucco ratio
Right - Figure 1: Characteristic BNS

water-stucco ratios for different to characterise different stuccos using various
BNS and PCE dosages. analytical methods. Phase analytics with Rietveld
0.6 Water
reduction Refinement, calculation of oxide composition by
PCE XRF or measurement of particle size distribution
0.5 are examples. Moreover, additional methods like
clay index determination (a BASF method) and
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
analysis of concentrated impurities by an extrac-
Dispersant dosage (% by weight of stucco)
tion method, were set up. A rough summary
of the detected phase compositions of different
FGD and natural stuccos is shown in Figure 3.
To reduce excess water and save drying costs,
suitable dispersants are used to lower water
stucco ratio without negatively influencing the
flow behaviour of the slurry. Most common are
β-naphthalene sulphonates (BNS) but poly-car- Initial value
boxylic-ethers (PCEs) are also applied in several 0.8
Right - Figure 2: Water - wallboard plants. Strong thickening

stucco ratios for varying BNS Due to the fact that BNS has a linear BNS
Water:stucco ratio
0.7 observable at low

and PCE dosing for selected polymer backbone with negative charges, the dosages
natural stuccos.
dispersing and water reduction mechanism
0.6 High BNS dosage necessary
is only based on an electrostatic repulsion ef- PCE
for robust processing!
fect. This is the reason why water reduction
potential of BNS is limited. At the saturation 0.5
point of BNS a 15-20% water reduction is typi-
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
cally achieved in comparison to cases with no
Dispersant dosage (% by weight of stucco)
BNS dispersant.

GLOBAL GYPSUM: ADDITIVES
0-3% 0-3% Left - Figure 3: Characteristic

0 - 10% phase distributions of FGD (left)
0 - 15% and natural stuccos (right).
0 - 15% β-hemihydrate
70 - 90%
> 95%
Calcium sulphates
(Anhydrite/Dihydrate)
Standard Impurities
(quartz, dolomite,
calcite, magnesite)
Further Impurities
As an example, Figure 4 shows the performance (kaolinite and chlorite clays,
Clay Index Stucco grade
muscovite, etc...)
of new R+D Melflux CR 1000 L in European natural
<0.1 FGD stucco and pure natural stucco
clay-contaminated stucco in comparison to BNS and
0.1 - 0.8 Medium clay-contaminated stucco PCE. With R+D Melflux CR 1000 L water reduction
Left - Table 1: Classification
> 0.8 High clay-contaminated stucco is analogous to that seen with pure stuccos (Figure 5). of Clay Index for different
Because of an optimised molecular structure, stucco types.
While FGD stuccos typically have a calcium R+D Melflux CR 1000 L shows no interaction with
sulphate content of higher than 95%, the level of clay and therefore always has the same water reduc-
impurities is very low and normally not critically- tion potential, independent of clay impurities.
disruptive to dispersant performance. Meanwhile, The properties of novel R+D Melflux CR 1000 L
natural stuccos can also be very pure and more could also allow it to be used:
or less behave like FGD. However, there are also
natural stuccos that are contaminated with swellable • If the amount of clay impurity changes
(chlorite) and non-swellable clays (kaolinite) and/or from batch to batch;
halogenides such as fluorspar.
• With all kinds of foaming agents (per-
formance is not dependant upon pore
0.87 design), and;
0.82
• At varying dispersant dosages (pore Left - Figure 4: Performance
Dispersant (% by weight of stucco) structure is constant for varying disper- of R+D Melflux CR 1000 L in
0.77 high clay-contaminated natural
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 sant amounts).
stucco (clay index of 1.2).
Water - stucco ratio
0.72
The aim of BASF’s novel robust dis- Constant parameters:
0.67 Mass of stucco = 500g.
persant technology is to enable gypsum Foaming aid used.
wallboard producers to realise a robust Flow = 18 - 19cm.
0.62
β-naphthalene sulphonate production process with less controlling, Setting time = 2:00-2:20 min:s.
Poly-carboxylate ether less readjusting, balanced pore structure Density = 680kg/m3.
0.57
R+D Melflux CR 1000 L and dispersant dosage. Therefore R+D
0.52 Melflux CR 1000 L is mainly recom-
mended for challenging stuccos with high
clay-contamination or changing qualities
It was found that stuccos that tend to over time.
thicken at low dispersant dosages always
contained clays. Therefore an empirical
ranking of different clay minerals with re- 0.92 -10
High clay stucco - BNS
spect to their tendency to absorb dispersant 0.90 High clay stucco - Melflux CR 1000 L -8
molecules in correlation to quantitative 0.88 FGD stucco - BNS -6
FGD stucco - Melflux CR 1000 L
analysis of the chemical composition of 0.86 -4
Water reduction (points)
stuccos were used to define the BASF inter- 0.84 -2

Water-stucco ratio
0.82 0 Left - Figure 5: Performance

nal Clay Index (CI) parameter (See Table 1). 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3
0.80 2 comparison of R+D Melflux CR
Focusing on high clay-contaminated 4
0.78 1000 L and BNS in high clay-
stuccos (CI > 0.8), there was the aim to de- 0.76 6 contaminated natural stucco and
velop a novel robust dispersant that would 0.74 8 FGD stucco.
enable constant water reduction without 0.72 10
the thickening effect, independent of the 0.70 12
amounts and types of clay impurities. 0.68 14
Active dispersant (% by weight of stucco)

GLOBAL GYPSUM: BOARD DRYERS
Reinhold Scheiblich, Grenzebach BSH GmbH
From the proven Grenzebach Jet-Type Dryer to the

new Cross-Flow Screen-Belt Dryer
A specific kind of drying system has been missing so far in the technology for drying
sensitive board products in the construction industry. Such a system would be capable
of easily handling materials with a low initial strength without damaging them during
transport, drying temperature-sensitive products uniformly and gently without causing
discoloration by high temperatures and at the same time be fast and efficient and have a
low environmental impact. On top of this, the system should also have a high capacity, use
as little energy as possible and minimise product losses.
W ith its background of years of experience in

plasterboard drying with jet-type dryers and
veneer drying with screen belt dryers and after exten-
The new ‘Cross-Flow Screen-Belt Dryer’ com-
bines the operational advantages of the Cross-Flow
Jet-Type Dryer with the unique carrying capabilities
sive testing at its research and development facilities, of the screen belt conveyor. Its modular design allows
Grenzebach is able to supply a proven solution for the dryer to be optimally adjusted to the required ca-
the above requirements. The Grenzebach Screen-Belt pacity and can be easily extended by adding further
Dryer has already found its way into the gypsum sections if necessary. Each individual section is 2.4m
fibreboard industry, the cement board industry and (7’ 10’’) long.
the mineral ceiling tile industry. Each dryer section has its own, independently
controllable recirculation fan, burner and air han-
Drying capacity 600-5000m2/hr dling system. This configuration allows multiple
(6450-54,000ft2/hr) airflow zones with short flow paths. This provides
airflow and temperature characteristics that can be
Evaporation 3-30t water/hr
optimised to obtain best drying of each individual
(6600-66,000lb water/hr)
product type.
Thermal energy consumption 650-850kCal/kg water The dryer’s functional principle is based on ultra-
(1180-1540BTU/lb water)* efficient heat transfer through impinged air. The
Number of drying decks 6 - 14 drying air flows vertically onto the boards from above
Right - Table 1: Technical
specification of Grenzebach’s Deckspacing 500m (19.7”) and below through hole-type nozzles in the jet box.
Cross-Flow Screen-Belt Dryer. This arrangement protects the cut board edge from
Dryer internal width 2900 - 4500mm
being burnt in the dryer. The design of the delivery
* Dependent on various factors. (114 - 177”)
plenum with matching nozzles coupled with easy ad-
Heating system, direct Natural gas, light oil, justment devices ensures that optimum board quality
propane or a combination is achieved in the shortest possible drying time.
Burners Standard or low-NOx Alternating directions of the airflow from sec-
Heating system, indirect Steam or thermal oil tion to section enhance the drying uniformity and
Control Different automation and thus the product quality. The flow pattern of the
control options tailored to individual jet tubes has been carefully designed
the level of automation of and tested to provide uniform conditions across the
the entire system width of the dryer decks. Additional features are jet-
boxes adjustable in height and dampers for further
Other features As customer requirements
airflow adjustments.
To ensure the sensitive products are transported
without damage, the dryer is equipped with screen
belts that match the corresponding product require-
ments. Each screen belt has:
Right: Dryer, longitudinal view.
• Its own drive with slip on gearbox and frequency
controlled motors,
• A pneumatic or electromotive screen belt
tracking control,

GLOBAL GYPSUM: BOARD DRYERS
Supply air
Supply air
Return and exhaust air
Return and
exhaust air
Jet box
Jet-box
Left: Dryer cross section shows

burner, fan and air flow.
Product
Product
Jet box
Jet-box Below: Screen-belt tensioning
and cleaning system
• A pneumatic tensioning device, returning thermal energy

• A cleaning unit with motorised cleaning brushes. to the preheat zones as
• A special belt tensioning and dryer housing design combustion air or direct
allows fixed-position head and tail drums, avoiding feed as secondary air.
variations in the gaps between the conveyors. The heat exchanger
is made completely of
Equipment to complete and supplement stainless steel sheets and
the drying system uses the exhaust for pre-
Grenzebach also provides the following equipment heating the fresh air. This
completing and supplementing the drying system: is then used: 1. As com-
bustion air in the dryer’s
Below: Energy saving system:
1. Handling of the wet product after the forming heating system; 2. For pre-drying in the pre-zones; 3. The heat exchanger can be
process: wet cutting, accelerating and loading sys- For direct feed as secondary air and; 4. For forming placed in or out of the building.
tem for the dryer decks: The green web is trimmed air curtains in the inlet
on both sides by means of a water jet system and cut and outlet seals.
to sheets of the desired length. In the area of the water The condensate is
jet system the board web runs on a stainless-steel collected and drained
screen belt. or can be returned to
When the web has been cut to length it is acceler- the process if it has no
ated and runs to the dryer loading lift. The conveyors negative influence. Large
upstream of the dryer are usually designed as belt access flaps allow easy
conveyors with servo motors for gentle conveying inspection and clean-
of the sensitive green sheets. Particular attention ing work with pressure
was given to the transitions between the individual washers. The wastewater
conveyors. Stainless steel fingers of high strength ma- is discharged via the con-
terial have proven to be the best solution to support densate line.
the green product.
The loading and unloading lifts ensure a safe Summary
transport and have one or two decks, depending on In summary, the
the production capacity. In order to ensure ease of Grenzebach Cross-Flow Screen-Belt Dryer offers
maintenance or replacement of the dryer belt, the gentle product transport, optimised drying time and Below: Dryer outlet.
dryer inlet unit and outlet unit can be moved out product quality and quick and easy maintenance due
sideways by a drive system. to movable conveyors at
the inlet and outlet. It ad-
2. Green waste reject system: If some of the product ditionally has a compact
needs to be removed, one of the accelerating convey- and easily-expandable
ors is lowered via a crank drive and the material falls design within a closed
into a pulper or onto a troughed belt conveyor. system. Direct and indi-
rect heating systems are
3. Dryer discharge system: The conveyors units possible. The dryer is also
downstream of the dryer can be designed as belt con- completely seal welded. It
veyors or roller conveyors. has large-scale insulation
without thermal bridges
4. Energy saving system: Energy saving systems that makes effective use
are used, with high levels of insulation, avoidance of of energy.
thermal bridges and leaks, optimised air circulation
and humidity control, as well as heat exchangers for

GLOBAL GYPSUM: CEMENT BOARDS
Amy Saunders & Emma Davidson, Global Gypsum Magazine
An introduction to cement-containing boards
To coincide with the recent 1st Global Boards Conference & Exhibition in London, UK, Global
Gypsum introduces the different types of reinforced structural boards made from cement
and cement-gypsum mixtures. Click the QR code below or enter the bit.ly link into your
browser to see far more on manufacturing methods, board market trends and producers.
C ement boards are made of mixtures of cement,

water and either reinforcing fibres or particles.
The resulting mix is formed into sheets or continuous
Each type of board has its own manufacturing
process, which will be covered in more detail later.
mats, stacked (and/or pressed), dried and trimmed to Why use cement board?
size. There are four distinct categories: The use of cement board in the construction industry
is increasing due to its advantages over traditional
building materials. A brief summary of the advan-
Right - Picture 1: Fibre cement
tages and disadvantages are detailed below:
board (FCB) is made of cement,
water, fillers and fibres. The
fibres may be synthetic (right) Advantages:
or natural. • Savings in cost, space, time, convenience,
• Environmentally-friendly,
Right - Picture 2: Wood wool • Highly-durable, impact-resistant,
cement board (WWCB) is made • Resistant to fire, water, vermin and fungus.
of cement, water, salt and wood
wool fibres. Typical densities of
350-570kg/m3. Disadvantages:
• High initial cost,
• CBPB and FCB are around twice as heavy as
Right - Picture 3: Cement gypsum-based board systems, so are expensive
bonded particle board (CBPB) is
made of cement, wood particles and awkward to transport and handle.
and water.
Significant savings can be gained through the
use of cement board despite the initially higher cost
Right - Picture 4: Wood strand
cement board (WSCB) is made when compared to gypsum wallboard due to its
of cement, water, salt and increased longevity.
wood wool fibres. Density of
1100kg/m3.
Right - Figure 1: Types of

cement board produced by Figure 1 shows the division of cement board types
87 global manufacturers (%). being produced worldwide by 90 global manufactur-
Source: Company websites.
ers. Fibre cement board, the oldest board type, has
43 global producers, while wood strand cement
board (also known as EltoBoard) has only six.
Typical cement board applications vary widely
between the different board types due to the vari-
able properties of each, but commonly include:
• Tile substrates, flooring and underlay,

• Kitchen counters, backsplashes,
• Roofing, shingles and shales,
• Weatherboard, façade, cladding,
See more • Prefabricated houses,
http://bit.ly/ Fibre Cement Board (FCB) 48.0%
IYDTG0 • Exterior and partition walls, Cement Bonded Particle Board CBPB) 18.0%
• Acoustic and thermal insulation, Wood Strand Cement Board (WSCB) 6.00%
• Soffits, ceilings and architraves. Wood Wool Cement Board (WWCB) 28.0%

The Right Product for
Successful Projects
The Multifunctional Additive
✔ RETARD THE SETTING OF GYPSUM

✔ INCREASE FLUIDITY
✔ GIVES A MORE HOMOGENEOUS
FINAL PRODUCT
✔ HIGH PERFORMANCE AT
LOW DOSAGE
✔ BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCT
✔ NOT AFFECTING STRENGTH
✔ NOT NOURISHING MOLDS
Contact us:
T 0039 0444 450 946
sicit2000@sicit2000.it
www.plastretard.com
GLOBAL GYPSUM: RUSSIA
Amy Saunders, Global Gypsum Magazine
Steady growth for the Russian gypsum industry
The Russian Federation, established in 1991 following the downfall of the Soviet Union, is a
semi-federal republic located in the north of Eurasia. The government rules 83 federal areas
comprising 47 oblasts, 21 republics, nine krais, four okrugs and two federal cities, from its
base at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia’s capital city. As the largest country in the world, Russia
spans 17,075,400km2 and had 143m inhabitants in 2012,1 making it the world’s 10th most
populous nation. The Russian gypsum industry has seen its fair share of market fluctuation
thanks to multiple industrial and economic events that have significantly affected the
construction industry. Here we give an overview of the industry as it stands today and its
potential for the foreseeable future.
R ussia is bordered by many nations that include History

Norway, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Latvia, The modern Russian nation was founded in the 13th
Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Century and ruled by the Mongols. In the early years,
Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. Russia was hit by plagues, invasions and the Little
The European nation is the world’s largest oil pro- Ice Age between 1350-1850. Assisted by the already
ducer and holds the world’s largest natural gas strong Russian Orthodox Church, the Mongols were
reserves.1 With 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, overthrown in the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380.
40 UNESCO biosphere reserves, 101 nature reserves In 1547, Ivan IV, ‘the Terrible,’ was crowned as
and 41 national parks, Russia has a highly variable Russia’s first Tsar. The country was ruled by succes-
topography that includes mountains, tundra, forest, sive Tsars until 1721, when it was proclaimed an
grasslands and semi-desert. Empire. Industrialisation began in 1861 and times
The seventh richest country in the world in were prosperous until the Russian Revolution, which
2012 with a GDP of Euro1.83tn,1 Russia is famous was triggered by the failed Russo-Japanese War in
for fine vodka and caviar, ballet, stunning architec- 1905. To regain control, the government legalised po-
ture and the iconic matryoshka doll. In 2014 the litical parties and allowed freedom of speech, which
Winter Olympic Games were held in Sochi, Kras- prompted the formation of the Communist Party.
nodar Krai, near the Caucasus Mountains. The Russia joined World War I in 1914 in response
European country birthed ‘Anna Karenina’ author to Austria-Hungary’s invasion of Serbia, which
Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, periodic table was followed in 1917 by the February Revolution.
inventor Dmitry Mendeleev and psychologist Ivan This was prompted by rumours of corruption and
Pavlov, who is perhaps best known for the classical treason of Nicholas II, who was the last Emperor of
conditioning ‘Pavlov Dogs’ experiment.2 Russia. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Right - Figure 1: The Sochi

2014 Winter Olympic Games
stadium was designed and
constructed by architecture
firm Populous, inspired by a
Fabergé egg. The stadium was
constructed from translucent
polycarbonate to allow light
projections during the games.

GLOBAL GYPSUM
Economy
Russia belongs to the BRIC economy countries, which

also includes Brazil, India and China. The countries
are characterised by newly advanced economic devel-
Left - Figure 2: St Basil’s
opment and have held annual summits since 2009. At
Cathedral, also known as the
the inaugural event, the group ‘issued a declaration Cathedral of Vasily the
calling for the establishment of an equitable, demo- Blessed and officially called the
cratic and multipolar world order.’3 Cathedral of the Intercession of
the Blessed Virgin on the Moat,
Russia’s GDP hit Euro1.83tn in 2012, up from
is located in the Red Square,
Euro1.77tn in 2011 and Euro1.69tn in 2010, making Moscow. It was constructed by
it the seventh richest country in the world.1 While Ivan the Terrible in 1551-1561
GDP/capita has grown steadily since the Ruble crisis to commemorate the capture of
Kazan and Astrakhan.
in 1998 (Figure 3, green line), GDP growth has stut-
tered somewhat in the same period (Figure 3, blue
line). CPI inflation rates have fallen steadily since
1998, reaching 5.1% in 2012, down from a peak of
848% in 1993,4 while disposable incomes have dou-
bled in the same period, resulting in the emergence of
(USSR) was formed in 1922, while in 1941 the na- a Russian middle class. Despite this renewed wealth,
tion joined World War II after Germany invaded. The 12.7% of the Russian population were below the pov-
War ended in 1945 when the allies captured Berlin. erty line in 2011. Finally, unemployment levels have
Russia then became the world’s second nuclear also fallen steadily since reaching a peak of 13.0%
weapon power, struggling against the USA and during the Ruble crisis (Figure 3, purple line).5
NATO for global dominance in the Cold War. The Russian government has attempted to reduce
The demise of the Soviet Union came in 1991 and the country’s reliance on commodity exports and in-
Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first president, was elected to stead promote growth in its technology sectors. Few
rule the new Russian Federation. The following era results have yet been achieved, which resulted in the
was highly unstable, blighted by the Ruble crisis that economy being badly hit by the global financial cri-
began in 1998, which saw many plunged into extreme sis in 2008 when oil prices plummeted. As for other
poverty by currency devaluation. Despite financial BRIC economy countries, a large proportion of the
assistance provided by the International Monetary labour force works in industry (27.4%). Agriculture
Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, the financial dis- employs 7% of the labour force and 27.4% work in
aster ended only when Russia defaulted on its debt. the service sectors. Population growth was recorded
In 1999, Yeltsin resigned and was replaced by the at -0.2% in 2013, with a birth rate of 12.11/1000
recently appointed prime minister, Vladimir Putin, and a death rate of 13.97/1000. Immigration was at
who went on to win the 2000 presidential election 1.69/1000 in the same period, preventing the Russian
and who was also re-elected as president in 2012. population from going into decline.
GDP, unemployment (%), GDP/capita (Euro/1000), gypsum production (Mt)
20
GDP growth rate (%)
GDP/capita (Euro1000)
Unemployment rate (%)
15 Gypsum production (Mt)
10
Left - Figure 3: GDP growth
rate (blue line), GDP/capita
(green line), unemployment rate
5 (purple line), gypsum production
(pink line), in Russia from 1993
to 2011. Sources: IMF World
0 Economic Outlook Database
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 October 2013, Infomine Market
Research, USGS
Year Mineral Yearbooks.
-5
-10
-15

Gypsum industry overview
The Russian Gypsum Association (RGA),6

was established in October 2005 to ‘lead the
quality of Russian construction materials to
Right - Figure 4: The Orda the level of European analogues.’ The RGA
cave in Perm is the longest comprises 30 companies in gypsum-related
underwater gypsum cave in
the world at 4400m long, 43m fields that include producers, suppliers and
below sea level. Located near manufacturers of plant equipment. The RGA
the Ural Mountains, the region is states that its intentions include:
renowned for its rich mineral
deposits. The clearness of the
water is attributed to the high • Advocating gypsum in construction;
levels of gypsum crystal present. • Defence of the gypsum industry interests;
• The creation of gypsum quality standards;
• The development of new technologies;
• Company and activity coordination.
Russia has a thriving gypsum industry

with a total wallboard production capacity of Company Plant Region Capacity (Mm2/yr)
465Mm2/yr. The country has a large number Knauf Baskuntschak Astrakhan 40
of mineral deposits, although the deposits are
Knauf Irkutsk Irkutsk 60
typically small in size and low in quality. The
minimum commercial grade is 70% of use- Knauf Kolpino St Petersburg 40
ful components. The Novomoskovsk deposit Knauf Kungur Perm 38
in Tula Oblast is the largest gypsum deposit Knauf Novomoskovsk Tula 52
in Russia,7 with reserves of 850Mt, while the
Knauf Krasnogorsk Moscow 50
Right - Table 1: Gypsum Orda cave in Perm is the world’s largest un-
wallboard plants in Russia. derwater gypsum cave (Figure 4).8 Knauf Psebai Krasnodar 40
Source: Global Gypsum Directory
2013 and research performed for
Gypsum mining fell in the 1990s due to Volma Volgograd Volgograd 25
the Global Gypsum the Ruble crisis, which caused a major depres- Volma Voskresensk Moscow 29
Directory 2014. sion of the construction industry (Figure 3,
Gyproc Gomzovo Mari El 30
pink line).9 Production levels of raw gypsum
reached their lowest at 559,000t in 1997 and Gipsolimer Perm Perm 10.8
peaked at 3.6Mt in 2008. Having dropped Askolit Fonika Gips Tartarstan 15
slightly since the global financial crisis, levels GIFAS Sverdlovsk Urals 5.4
of gypsum production hit 3.0Mt in 2011, the
Mordovcement Mordovia Mordovia 30
latest year for which accurate data is available.
Total 465
Knauf
Volma
Gyproc
Gipsopolimer
Askolit
GIFAS
Right - Figure 5: Gypsum

wallboard plants in Russia.
Source: Global Gypsum Directory Kolpino
2013 and research performed for ST PETERSBURG
the Global Gypsum Irkutsk Krasnogorsk
Directory 2014. MOSCOW Volograd Voskrensk
Novomoskovsk Gomzovo Perm

Kungur
Fonika Gips
Sverdlovsk
Baskuntschak
Psebai

Erisim 1 September 2013.indd 1 05/09/2013 13:42
Turkey’s Erişim Makina is a major supplier of gyp-

Right - Figure 7: In January sum plant equipment in Russia.10 The company has
2014 Gyproc supplied fire- provided complete turnkey gypsum plants to Askolit
resistant building elements for and Volma, in addition to a wide variety of gypsum
the construction of Moscow’s
plant equipment to Gypsopolimer and Knauf. Erişim
‘Italian Quarter,’ situated on
Dolgorukovskoj, 2km from Makina opened an office in Moscow in December
the Kremlin. 2012 in order to better coordinate sales and customer
relationship management in Russia, Ukraine and the
CIS. In an accompanying statement, Erişim Makina
announced that by establishing a presence in Russia
it aims to target companies and investors ‘at home’
and in their native language.
In October 2013 Volma signed an agreement with
Knauf the Head of the Adygei Republic in the sphere of
The Russian gypsum industry is inarguably domi- investment activity to begin work on the company’s
nated by Knauf, which has a total Russian wallboard seventh Russian gypsum plant. The Maykop plant
production capacity of 320Mm2/yr from its seven will be situated in the Republic of Adygea and is pro-
plants.11 In 2010 the company produced 59% of jected to cost Euro21.2m.
Russia’s total gypsum product output.12 In the same
reporting period Volma produced 14%, Samara Gyproc
Plaster produced 3% and Gipsopolimer produced Saint Gobain’s Gyproc owns a 30Mm2/yr capac-
2%. Knauf entered the Russian market in 1993 with ity gypsum wallboard plant in Gomzovo, Nizhny
the purchase of a small stake of the Tigi plant in Novgorod district.14 The Gomzovo plant was con-
Krasnogorsk. Since then, the company has expanded structed at a cost of Euro70m, provides employment
massively across the country, increasing capacity by to 87 staff and is based at its own gypsum quarry.
acquisitions, building new plants and installing the Pierre-André de Chalendar, chairman and CEO of
latest technologies at its plants to further increase Saint-Gobain, officially commissioned the plant in
production capacity. Knauf currently operates from July 2013. “The start-up of this new plant is an im-
22 sites across Russia, at which it produces wallboard, portant step in the group’s development within the
dry mixes, cement products and metal fixings. Russian habitat and construction markets,” said de
Chalendar. “With its unique portfolio of products
Volma and solutions, Saint Gobain serves rapidly-growing
Volma Corporation was established in 1943 with the construction markets worldwide. Russia’s climate, its
construction of its first plant in Volgograd, which rising purchasing power and pressing need for hous-
began manufacture of gypsum dry mix in 1949 ing means that it is a country with great potential for
and gypsum wallboard in 1953. The company is the the group.”
second largest gypsum manufacturer in Russia by On 15 November 2013, Saint Gobain opened
installed capacity, with a total wallboard production its first innovative training centre, the ‘Academy of
capacity of 54Mm2/yr from its plants in Volgograd Saint Gobain’ in Moscow. From the site, the com-
and Voskresensk.13 Volma also owns an additional pany will develop innovative construction methods
plant in Volgograd, one plant in Chelyabinsk, two using materials developed by its subsidiaries, in-
plants in Tatarstan, a gypsum quarry in Orenburg cluding Gyproc, Isover, Isotec, Weber-Vetonit
and a second gypsum quarry in Ryazan. One addi- and Ecophon.
tional plant, at the gypsum quarry in Orenburg, is
due for commissioning at the end of 2014 and will
create up to 1000 jobs. A range of products that ex- Scan the QR code below or enter the bit.ly code
cludes wallboard but includes gypsum dry mixes and into your web-brower to read more online. See
tiles is produced at these sites. an overview of the Russian gypsum industry
that includes a detailed discussion of wallboard
Right - Figure 6: Renaissance producers, notable events in recent years and
Construction was awarded the the gypsum industry outlook...
turnkey construction contract
of Knauf’s Novomoskovsk
wallboard plant in Tula Oblast,
in 2003. The scope of the work
included all design works, shop See more
http://bit.ly/
drawings, construction works, 1fELLoo
electrical and mechanical
systems, infrastructure systems,
peripheral roads and
landscape areas.

Erisim 2 September 2013.indd 1 06/09/2013 11:40
GLOBAL GYPSUM: INTERVIEW
Interview by Peter Edwards, Global Gypsum Magazine
In discussion: Michael McCamley,

New West Gypsum Recycling
New West Gypsum Recycling (NWGR) is a family-owned Canadian company dedicated

to the recycling of gypsum wallboard into fresh feedstock for the industry. Following the
introduction of landfill bans for gypsum in British Columbia, Canada in 1984, the company
developed its wallboard recycling technology that separates the gypsum core from the
paper liner. Both gypsum and paper can be returned to beneficial use, offering a sustainable
method and the potential for infinite gypsum recycling.
GG: Can you provide a brief history of NWGR’s gypsum to be used in a wallboard blend. The gyp-
time in the gypsum recycling business? sum heads to wallboard manufacturers and the paper
goes to a pulping mill or other use, for example as
MM: In an effort to make sure that no gypsum cattle bedding.
wallboard ever gets to landfill, Tony and Gwen Mc-
Camley founded NWGR in 1985. They developed a GG: What is NWGR’s processing capacity?
highly-effective method to separate the gypsum core
from the paper backing. The process is now patented MM: Our seven facilities have a total capacity of
and has recycled 5Mt of gypsum since 1985. 1Mt/yr. At this time some plants are close to full
capacity and others have room to grow. Many mar-
GG: Can you describe the recycling process itself? kets have only one or two producers and when they
change their requirements they can have a large im-
MM: Firstly we conduct checks for hazardous ma- pact on our production.
terials in the inbound wet and dry loads of gypsum
waste that are brought to our facilities. Once a load GG: Are there any plans to add further capacity?
has been dumped it is visually inspected and any
large chunks of non-gypsum debris such as wood, MM: Firstly, we intend to increase our processing
plastic and metal are removed. The waste is then fed rate to more closely match our current capacity. The
into a large feed hopper and on to a sorting belt where size of our plant and the size of the market may not
the waste is visually inspected again for non-gypsum be closely matched when we enter a given market.
debris before it passes under an electromagnet to re- Therefore, we have to enter with overcapacity.
move any ferrous metals. Aside from that, we are in the process of moving
The gypsum waste then enters our ‘magic box,’ our Washington, USA plant closer to Seattle. This
where the gypsum core is separated from the paper will mean that we can better serve our customers.
backing. Our method leaves less than 1% paper in We are investigating the German market and are also
the gypsum material, which enables more recycled looking at the East-coast market in the US.
Michael McCamley: Second generation gypsum recycler

Michael McCamley is one of three sons of Tony and Gwen McCam-
ley, who founded NWGR in 1985. Michael started working for New
West Gypsum Recycling (NWGR) in 1996 after school and during
the holidays as a labourer at the New Westminster processing plant
in British Columbia, Canada.
After completing his studies he worked full time learning the op-
erational aspects of the business before moving, from 2004 to 2012,
to be the operational manager responsible for commissioning new
facilities for the company in Europe. In 2013 Michael moved into
new business development, which remains his position today.

New West Gypsum Recycling’s global locations

Canada: 1. New Westminster, British Columbia;
2. Calgary, Alberta; 3. Oakville, Ontario.
USA: 4. Seattle, Washington.

1 2 5 7
4 3 6
UK: 5. Avonmouth, Somerset (2001).
France: 6. Vaujours, Seine-Saint-Denis - 2006

Belgium: 7. Kallo, East Flanders – 2008
MM: When we installed the North Ameri-

can facilities the plants were not similar,
but had different conveyor lengths and
storage systems. When we went to Europe,
we made sure that we used consistent com-
ponents in a modular approach. We made
everything uniform.
GG: Turning to the Canadian market, where are problems. You have to know what you’re putting in
your enquiries coming from at the moment? your recipe - add too much salt to your dough mix
and you won’t be able to eat your bread!
MM: We have all the usual suspects: applicators,
waste contractors, haulers, manufacturers and in- GG: Did you imply there that some additives are
dividual home-owners. There has been very little not destroyed or removed by NWGR’s process or
change in terms of our types of customers but we are the re-calcining prior to new boards being made?
constantly expanding our radius. At the moment we
take material from up to 400km (250 miles) away. MM: NWGR can only remove ‘physical’ things. We
cannot remove the chemicals in the board and the
GG: What effects do the additives contained in the new board production process does not remove all
materials that NWGR receives have on the produc- the additives either. We provide a full assay of what’s
tion of new boards? Some in the industry have in the recycled material to the client.
expressed concern over unpredictable reactions The board maker’s sensitivity to the additives will
between several additives. change depending on what type of board it wants to
make. This is becoming more complicated as more
MM: It all comes down to the board maker’s require- and more types of board are being produced.
ments. In North America, the additives are generally
a non-issue. In Europe some additives can cause is- GG: What physical form do NWGR products take?
sues if the board maker is unprepared for them. If
they receive gypsum with a given additive that they MM: We make a granular product but it varies de-
have not made allowances for, they could end up with pending on market requirements. In Belgium we are
Left: North West Gypsum

Recycling processes 1Mt/yr of
gypsum debris from seven sites
across the US. The company
plans to increase its processing
rate prior to making any further
capacity increases.

to have a viable business model we must supply

other users as we try to increase the amount of
gypsum that heads back to wallboard producers.
Right: North West Gypsum
Recycling primarily produces
a granular product. While the
GG: How far does material typically travel from
industry average particle size an NWGR facility to a board plant and how im-
diameter for recycled materials is portant is the distance to the nearest wallboard
14mm, NWGR produces particles plant?
that range from 1.6 to 4mm
in diameter.
MM: We like to be close to our end user, but
the location has to make sense financially. Any
recycling has to be economically beneficial to all
parties. This is one of the reasons that we are mov-
ing our WA state facility closer to Seattle.
GG: What do you think is the feasible limit for

recycled gypsum content in the wallboard pro-
cess?
Right: Current processing tech-
nologies enable the production MM: With current processing technology we
of gypsum wallboard comprising could raise to about 40% recycled gypsum content
40% recycled gypsum. NWGR
and 60% new gypsum as long as the plant is ready
believes that in the future the
production of gypsum board for the effects of the additives. We had a plant that
that comprises 100% recycled operated in that range briefly, but unfortunately
gypsum will be possible. there was insufficient recycled gypsum in the local
market to support that substitution rate in the
long-term.
GG: We hear a lot about how gypsum is infi-

nitely recyclable. Is this really the case or is some
developing a product specifically for DSG mills. We material always lost in each recycling step?
are the first to have a 1.6mm product with 0.5% paper
content. In North America we generally produce a MM: It is really the case. For NWGR the only gyp-
more granular product. The trick is always to match sum that is lost is the very minimal amount that
the customer’s existing feed. We make a large effort is impregnated in the paper. In Belgium Gyproc’s
to tailor make products for a given factory. This also recycling programme has earned them a ‘Cradle to
avoids waste, which is in everyone’s interests. Cradle’ Silver Certificate for the board they produce.
GG: Aside from board producers, what other cus- GG: From NWGR’s standpoint, it can recycle all of
tomer groups are there? Are the groups changing? the material that comes to it. However, the board
producer is only using up to 40% recycled content.
MM: Of course, board producers are our largest How does that make it 100% recyclable?
customer but at the moment we are looking more
and more at the secondary markets like cement pro- MM: The wallboard itself is 100% recyclable but with
ducers, soil amendment companies, composters and current technology board makers are not yet able to
others, anything that I would call a ‘one-time use’. produce 100% recycled gypsum wallboard. The good
With respect to the soil-amendment issue, there is thing about gypsum is that it can be recycled over
the assumption that adding gypsum to land is ‘good.’ and over and over again, unlike paper for instance.
However, this is not always the case as the soil may
not actually need it. There are additional concerns for GG: Do you think that board makers will ever be
us because recycled gypsum is not like natural gyp- able to make 100% recycled gypsum wallboard?
sum, it contains chemicals. NWGR has no interest in
turning a farmer’s field into a landfill site. MM: I’m sure that people are working on it and from
our perspective, the sooner the better!!
GG: What is driving the move to secondary uses?
GG: Thank you for your time.
MM: There are a lot of markets that are very small,
with maybe only one board plant that can just use MM: You are welcome.
10,000t of our material. If we need to process 25,000t

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Twitter: #globalgypsum gypsumMAGAZINE
Berlin 1 page March 2014.indd 1 06/03/2014 14:38

Interview by Peter Edwards, Global Gypsum Magazine
In discussion: Dr Markus Müller, Sika Services AG
Sika is a leading global specialty chemicals company, supplying construction markets

and the manufacturing industry. In the mid-2000s it launched into the gypsum additive
industry with key products for water reduction and setting time control. Here the company’s
Corporate Product Engineer for Gypsum and Mortar Additives, Dr Markus Müller, talks to
Global Gypsum...
Global Gypsum (GG): What are the main trends in MM: Today’s gypsum board manufacturer is highly
the gypsum additives industry at the moment? automated and optimised with respect to efficiency.
In addition, no two plants are the same. They are
Markus Müller (MM): As expected, today’s trends individually-adapted to local conditions in terms of
in the gypsum additive industry are mainly driven raw materials, process equipment and market de-
by the needs of gypsum board producers. A central mands. Given this, gypsum additive suppliers as a
topic is the reduction of production costs. In times whole have developed a wide range of options. Thus
of rising energy prices, additives with high water- it is important that board manufacturer work out the
reducing potential are increasingly in demand to solution tailored to their individual needs together
reduce board drying costs. Similarly, stricter health with gypsum additive specialists.
and environmental regulations are forcing board
producers to switch to compatible raw materials, in- GG: A good way for wallboard plants to save money
cluding additives. Claims based on mould formation is to use water-reducing additives. How much fur-
of gypsum products, including the ‘Chinese Drywall ther can the amount of water be reduced or are we
Saga,’ stimulate the conversion to additives that do close to the minimum water at the moment?
not serve as a nutrient media for microbial attack.
Great efforts are also being made in relation to MM: This is an interesting question because there
the interactions in complex binder:water:additive is actually a massive difference between gypsum
systems. This includes understanding whether differ- binder and cement. In today’s widely-used high-
ent chemicals interact with each other, and if so, how. performance concretes, the water/cement ratio (w/c)
The target is to eliminate negative interactions and to is commonly below the limit for maximised chemical
build on synergistic effects. reaction (w/c = 0.4) and sometimes even below the
theoretical stoichiometric limit (w/c = 0.25).
GG: With the above answer in mind, do you think For beta-hemihydrate, the main stucco compo-
gypsum additives have become too complicated? nent, the theoretical stoichiometric water/binder
ratio (w/b) is only 0.18 but during board production
flowable slurries have to be processed with w/b
≈ 0.7, sometimes higher. With modern super-
Profile: Dr Markus Müller plasticisers applied in existing plant equipment,
While he started out as a civil engineer, Sika’s Dr Markus Müller realised during water reduction by up to 20% is state of the art.
his studies that building materials were ‘an exciting field.’ Working with Knauf,
he completed his PhD studies in gypsum ma- GG: Do you think that it is possible to go far
terials before a ‘flying visit’ to the cement and closer to the stoichiometric limit as seen in
concrete industry. “Since the cement guys tend the concrete applications?
to look at gypsum with the view that it has such
a simple chemistry versus the complex cement MM: Lab-test results indicate potential for up
chemistry, I wanted to see if there was ‘magic’ in to 40% water reduction. The extent to which
cement science and development,” says Müller. the gypsum industry will push this potential
After having realised, that ‘they put on their into production reality will depend largely on
pants one leg at a time,’ too, he started at Sika the development of energy prices. To achieve
around five years ago. There he is now respon- this ‘greener’ production, the manufacturers of
sible for global technical support and business plant equipment also need to be innovative.
development in the field of gypsum and dry It is not the gypsum chemistry itself that
mortar additives. limits the w/b reduction but other technical
factors like the adhesion of the slurry to the

cardboard facer. During today’s gypsum board pro- Even if we imagine that a part of the polymer
duction a certain amount of excess water is necessary would ‘survive’ the process, the certain dilution steps
to enable the penetration of the slurry into the card- (like the low initial dosage in the per thousand range,
board and allow there to be a firm bond throughout limit of recycled material content, access to only
the board. a small fraction of the polymer bond in the origin
gypsum structure etc...) would leave no measurable
GG: Can you take us quickly through Sika’s influence on the production of the new boards. In
product offering for gypsum board producers? conclusion, I can give all-clear for the recycling of
gypsum boards containing Sika additives. At the
MM: One of Sika’s most successful additive technolo- same time I have to refute the illusion that the re-
gies is Sika ViscoCrete. It is based on polycarboxylate usage of additives via recycling can save additive
ether (PCE) polymers, which are actually similar to costs in the future!
a comb in shape, consisting of a polycarboxylic acid
backbone and polyether side-chains. By varying the GG: Are there any concerns over the future use
specific PCE polymer structure, the properties of of the products that Sika makes with respect to
the resulting superplasticisers can be adjusted to suit changes to environmental regulations?
different requirements. Tailored superplasticisers for
gypsum applications first came about as a result of MM: We are expecting and we are prepared for
a conscious effort by Sika in the mid-2000s. Dur- stronger regulations. Actually, they are a driver for
ing almost 10 years of application experience many our sales to some extent, as building materials pro-
individual solutions for water reduction have been ducer are under pressure to switch to raw materials
developed and implemented. that are free of formaldehyde, VOCs, etc. In addi-
Another gypsum additive technology provided tion, especially high-range water reducers like Sika
by Sika is Retardan. Retardan L and Retardan P ViscoCrete help board producers reduce energy use,
have been used very successfully in the gypsum and enabling higher environmental standards.
dry-mortar industry for many years. With Sika’s new
Retardan-200 series, based on modified amino-acid GG: Is Sika’s range of customers changing with
chemistry, we have developed an even more effi- time at all?
cient gypsum retarder generation. Retardan is used
during board production to delay the beginning of MM: In the mid-2000s, our first gypsum industry
setting for a few seconds and to give the required partners and customers were based in Western
processing time before the initial setting occurs. Europe and North America. As with most other
This avoids production disruptions caused by cak- suppliers, we have expanded our sales activities geo-
ing and clumping in the mixer, especially necessary graphically from these mature markets into emerging
when fine-ground gypsum is used as accelerator. markets, especially in regions like Eastern Europe,
Retardan also increases the flowability of the slurry. Middle-East, Asia-Pacific and South America. The
It ensures complete mixing of pre-generated foam demand for high-quality additives and professional
and plaster slurry and homogeneous distribution of technical support is rising, especially in regions with
this mix onto the bottom paper before passing the rising construction levels, strengthening environ-
forming station. mental regulations and rising quality requirements.
GG: Some in the industry have concerns regarding GG: What future trends do you see for the gypsum
additives that pass through the board recycling additives industry?
process. Do additives end up in new slurries
and how do they influence the production of MM: Reducing production costs will most likely con-
new boards? tinue to be a main focus of producers. Board drying,
the most energy-intensive step, is the step with the
MM: We take the concerns of board manufactur- highest savings potential. Every gram of water that
ers seriously and for Sika additives we can give the you can remove from the initial mix doesn’t need to
‘all-clear.’ Of course we clarify the compatibility be evaporated. This change might become necessary
with other potential mix-design components during to maintain the competitiveness of the gypsum in-
product development. But let’s consider the board re- dustry against alternative building materials.
cycling process in particular: First, the gypsum core In addition, gypsum product innovations like
is mechanically separated from the cardboard covers. ultra-lightweight boards and boards for special
During re-usage of the gypsum for the production of applications will continue to require tailor-made
new boards, it gets milled and calcined and tempera- functional additive solutions.
tures reach 170°C and above. These conditions can
lead to the collapse of the polymer structure and an GG: Thank you very much for your time.
associated loss of performance.

GLOBAL GYPSUM: NORTH AMERICA
Peter Edwards and Amy Saunders, Global Gypsum Magazine
A year in the North American gypsum industry
The past 12 months have seen a lot of activity in the North American gypsum wallboard
industry. Here Global Gypsum reviews the ups and downs in 2013 and so far in 2014.
R ecent years have been a challenge for the gypsum

industry in North America, with the recession
causing a dramatic slump in consumer demand. Gyp-
Fourth quarter 2012: The quarter that ended on 31
December 2012 was promising for Eagle Materials,
which reported a 33% year-on-year total revenue rise
sum wallboard producers have seen their margins hit to US$164.7m. Average wallboard prices were up
and have taken steps towards developing specialised by 27% year-on-year to US$120.55/1000ft2 (1000ft2
products in order to differentiate themselves from = 92.9m2), while sales volumes rose by 23% to
the competition and attempt to retain their sales. 48.2Mm2. USG also reported improving results, with
sales of US$815m, a 12% increase year-on-year. How-
Financial performance ever, this was tempered by an US$8m operating loss,
Publicly-owned North American gypsum produc- adjusted operating profits of US$5m and a net loss
ers, namely Eagle Materials and USG Corporation of US$13m. This was an improvement on the fourth
(USG), which are compelled to present financial quarter of 2011, when USG reported an operating loss
reports to shareholders, reported strong growth in of US$43m. Wallboard sales volumes were 1.13Bnm2
the North American gypsum industry throughout at an average price of US$132.26/1000ft2, compared
2013. Significantly, USG generated a net income of to 1.02Bnm2 at an average price of US$112.59/1000ft2
US$47m in 2013, its first net income since 2007. Net in the same quarter of 2011.
sales for the entire of 2013 were US$3.6bn, operat-
ing profits were US$258m and adjusted net income First quarter 2013: In the quarter that ended on
was US$73m. 31 March 2013, Eagle Materials reported total
Evidence that the gypsum industry is recovering revenues of US$159.1m, up by 36% year-on-year.
is demonstrated by the 43% year-on-year increase to Gypsum wallboard prices rose by 23% year-on-year
3.41Mt of US mined gypsum in the first three months to US$145.72/1000ft2, while sales volumes rose by
of 2013.1 During the same period 0.85Mt of gypsum 9% year-on-year to 40.2Mm2. USG reported net sales
was imported, indicative of a healthy demand for of US$814m in the first quarter of 2013, a 4% rise
gypsum and gypsum products. Synthetic gypsum year-on-year. Significantly, the company returned to
production fell to 1.79Mt and overall gypsum sup- a quarterly net profit for the first time in five years
plies increased by 21% year-on-year. with operating profits of US$49m. “All segments
1000
900
Net sales, revenues, sales volumes, operating profits
800
700 USG net sales (US$m)

Right: The net sales (red line) Eagle Materials total revenue (US$m)
600 Eagle Materials wallboard sales volumes (Mm2)
and operating profits (green
line) reported by USG (US$m) USG operating profits (US$m)
500
and total revenue (US$m)
(blue line) and wallboard sales 400
volumes (Mm2) (purple line)
reported by Eagle Materials in 300
2012-2013.
200
100
0
31-12-2012 31-03-2013 30-06-2013 30-09-2013 31-12-2013
Date

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GGD 2014 Ad March 2014.indd 1 06/03/2014 14:50

GLOBAL GYPSUM: NORTH AMERICA
Research proves that carbon monoxide penetrates wallboard Middle East. Boral will contribute its gypsum divi-
sion, which includes its plasterboard operations in
In September 2013, researchers from the Virginia Mason Centre for Australia and Asia, while USG will contribute its
Hyperbaric Medicine proved that carbon monoxide (CO) can penetrate Asian and Middle Eastern businesses, as well as access
gypsum wallboard structures in the first study to show that this occurs. to its ceilings, cement board, fibre board, lightweight
Wallboard of various thicknesses were used as a barrier in a plexiglas cham- plasterboard and joint compound building product
ber that had CO test gas infused in it. CO concentrations were measured technologies. The joint venture will be owned 50% by
once per minute in each chamber for 24 hours, and migration was observed Boral and 50% by USG, for which USG will pay Boral
across a number of types of board. up to US$575m. Management will be shared between
Boral and USG with Frederic de Rougemont from
Boral Gypsum as CEO, Paul Monzella from USG as
showed improved results and our commitment to CFO and Jennifer Scanlon as Chairman.
innovation and lowering our break-even are evident In October 2013 USG entered into a Solar Energy
in our results,” said James S Metcalf, chairman, presi- Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPA) with
dent and CEO of USG. Green Light Plaster City Solar 1 (GLPCS1) to install
a solar facility at its California manufacturing plant.
Second quarter 2013: Eagle Materials reported The 1MW photovoltaic (PV) system is intended to
another strong quarter that ended on 30 June 2013 provide USG with more predictable energy costs
with a total revenue of US$227m, which represents a until the 2030s.
47% year-on-year increase, as well as net earnings of In July 2013 the Gypsum Association, which
US$30.1m, up by 115% year-on-year. Wallboard sales encompasses all of North America, announced that
prices rose by 23% to an average of US$146.30/1000ft2, Stephen H Meima had assumed the position of deputy
while sales volumes increased by 16% year-on-year to executive director/CEO. “I am eager to help advance
40.9Mm2. USG’s business recovered further, with a the development, growth and general welfare of the
15% year-on-year rise in net sales to US$916m, up gypsum industry in the US and Canada,” said Meima.
from US$798m. Net income rose to US$25m, com-
pared to a US$57m loss in the same period of 2012. Sites and acquisitions
Wallboard sales volumes increased by 12% year-on- Lafarge announced the imminent sale of its North
year to 1.11Bnm2 from 0.99Bnm2. American gypsum business, which includes three
US gypsum wallboard plants, to US private equity
Third quarter 2013: Eagle Materials reported that the firm Lone Star in a US$700m deal in June 2013.
quarter that ended on 30 September 2013 was highly The venture is mow called Continental Building
lucrative. The company reported a 53% year-on-year Products. In the same month USG-Zawawi Group
rise in total revenues to US$252.6m, while gypsum signed a US$45m deal with Bank Sohar to construct
wallboard sales volumes of 51.5Mm2 provided op- and commission a gypsum quarry and gypsum wall-
erating earnings of US$36.8m, a 52% year-on-year board plant in the Salalah Free Zone in Oman. The
increase. USG reported net sales of US$925m and plant will have a production capacity of 8Mm2/yr in
adjusted operating profits of US$75m across all of its its first phase, with a capacity of 16Mm2/yr planned
businesses in the same period. in accordance with future demand.
In July 2013 International Paper finalised the sale
Fourth quarter 2013: The quarter that ended on 31 of its Temple-Inland Building Products division,
December 2013 showed strong results again for Eagle which included four gypsum wallboard plants and 11
Materials, which reported a 39% year-on-year in- other production plants, to Georgia-Pacific Building
crease in total revenues to US$228.8m. The company Products for US$750m.
sold 58.4Mm2 of gypsum wallboard, a 13% year-on- PABCO Building Products LLC acquired the
year increase, at an average price of US$143.3/1000ft2, QuietRock sound-proof wallboard business from
which was up by 19% year-on-year. In the same Serious Energy in August 2013.
period USG reported net sales of US$915m, up by In January 2013 National Gypsum abandoned
12% year-on-year, in addition to operating profits of plans to construct a power generation plant fuelled by
US$60m, US$3m in net losses and US$22m in ad- burning tyres due to the plummeting price of natu-
justed net income. ral gas and protests from local residents. National
Gypsum had planned to buy steam and electricity
New ventures produced from the plant, but with the price of natural
The biggest new partnership in the last 12 months gas considerably lower, using the tyre-burning power
is Boral and USG’s US$1.6bn joint venture, USG- generator no longer offered cost savings.
Boral Building Products, which was approved by the
Competition Commission of New Zealand in Febru- References
ary 2014. The venture will produce gypsum wallboard 1. http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/
in 12 countries across Asia, Australasia and the gypsum/.

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Delegates
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Materials covered:
than 30 countries
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Global Awards other thermal insulator
Insulation materials.
Gala Dinner
Exhibition
sold-out in
2013 Who should attend?
• insulation manufacturers
• equipment suppliers
• equipment buyers
• additive companies
• consultancies
• researchers
• distributors
• associations
• legislators
2013 exhibitors included:

ACC
CNBM
EFRA
Gamma Meccanica
Grenzebach
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Excellent networking and business Kaibel & Saibel GmbH
opportunities. If your business is Lachenmeier
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GLOBAL INSULATION NEWS
US: Owens Corning reports US$204m profit for 2013
O wens Corning announced a profit of US$204m in 2013

and stated that it will resume paying a quarterly divi-
dend for the first time in nearly 14 years.
of US$204m for 2013, compared to a loss of US$19m in
2012. The company was saddled by significant charges re-
lated to worldwide restructuring and debt extinguishment
Chief executive officer Mike Thaman stated that the com- during 2012.
pany’s strong performance in 2013 allowed the board to Of particular note was Owen Corning’s insulation busi-
make the decision to reinstitute a dividend. Owens Corning ness, which returned to profitability for the first time since
hasn’t paid a dividend since filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy 2008. The company reported a US$40m profit in insulation
protection in 2000. Owens Corning said that a stabilising before taxes and interest.
economy and the improving US housing market helped to “We expect 2014 to be another strong year for the com-
boost fourth quarter sales and profits. The company also pany,” Thaman said. “We expect to see another great year for
benefited from a one-time, US$31m insurance pay-out roofing, continued improvement in insulation and progress
related to Hurricane Sandy. in our composites business, all building toward continued
Owens Corning reported total sales of US$5.3bn for strong growth for our company.”
2013, up by 2% from 2012. The company recorded a profit
US: PPG Industries reaches Saudi Arabia: RB Hilton secures two

acquisitions agreement contracts worth US$32.8m
P PG Industries announced that it has reached

a definitive agreement to acquire almost all of
the assets of Hi-Temp Coatings Technology Co Inc,
R B Hilton Saudi Arabia Co, subsidiary of Cape plc,
announced that it has signed contracts worth US$32.8m
in Saudi Arabia, one of which includes an insulation project
a privately-owned supplier of high-temperature-re- (among others) at the Rabigh II Project.
sistant and insulative coatings, based in Boxborough,
Massachusetts, USA.
The transaction is expected to close in the first Australia: United Bonded Fabrics allegedly
quarter of 2014, subject to customary closing condi- traded while insolvent
tions. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Hi-Temp is a global supplier of coatings that with-
stand extreme temperatures to protect both carbon
Insulation and bedding maker United Bonded Fabrics is al-
leged to have traded while insolvent for around six months
and was granted US$6m from the government while doing
steel and stainless steel substrates. The company’s so, according to Australian press.
coatings are used widely in refineries, petrochemical The report said that the sole director established a new
plants, pulp and paper mills and power plants. company that agreed to pay US$600,000 for all of the stock
“PPG looks forward to integrating Hi-Temp coat- and assets. The business was placed into voluntary adminis-
ings into our product offering,” said Tim Knavish, tration with debts totalling US$30.4m in 2013 and is reported
PPG vice president, protective and marine coatings. to have received nearly US$6m in government grants.
“Hi-Temp’s unique technologies bring multiple “It is the administrators’ view that the company has been
growth opportunities to PPG, particularly in the insolvent for some time prior to 30 May 2013, however, an
petrochemical segment. Combining their excellent actual date of insolvency has not been established, nor the
corrosion-under-insulation coatings portfolio with damage caused by insolvent trading quantified,” an ad-
PPG’s legacy portfolio enables us to provide administrators’ report alleged. “However, the administrators’
ditional high-quality options to meet more of our view is that a date of insolvency would be no later than 1
customers’ coatings needs.” December 2012.”
Saudi Arabia: New AFICO plant inaugurated in Dammam
P rince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, governor of the

Eastern Province, officially inaugurated the new Arabian
Fibreglass Insulation Co Ltd (AFICO) factory in Dammam
fibreglass insulation products to the marketplace. The
products are expected to assist local governing authorities
in the GCC countries to implement more stringent building
Second Industrial City on 15 January 2014. code requirements that are aimed at increasing energy-
The new factory has an installed capacity of efficiency and improving fire safety standards.
0.24Mt/yr, which increases the company’s total manufac- The new plant has successfully completed the pilot
turing capacity in its combined plants to 0.37Mt/yr. The new production process and has commenced commercial
plant will manufacture products primarily for use in the production of fibreglass insulation materials. The Prince
construction industry. expressed his pride and admiration for this advanced
The additional production capacity will enable AFICO industrial facility and its contribution to the support of ex-
to introduce energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly isting industrial projects in Saudi Arabia.
www.GlobalInsulation.com Global Insulation Section March 2014 35

GLOBAL INSULATION NEWS
US: Cozy Foam blamed for virus outbreak UK: Knauf Insulation joins the
Sustainable Energy Association
C ozy Foam insulation that attracted nesting mice is likely to
blame for an outbreak of hantavirus that caused at least
10 campers to fall ill, three of whom died, in 2012, announced K nauf Insulation has joined the Sustainable Energy
Association to develop and promote energy-effi-
California health officials announced on 12 February 2014. ciency and low carbon projects across the UK.
The mice carried hantavirus into the tents and infected camp- The Sustainable Energy Association, established in
ers staying there, according to a report in the journal Emerging December 2013, aims to promote energy-efficiency
Infectious Diseases. Park staff have since dismantled the ‘signa- and production of low carbon energy.
ture’ cabins and rodent-proofed other facilities. The cabins differ “The government is missing the economic oppor-
from regular tent cabins by having an interior wall and roof that tunity that an integrated approach to building energy
consist of drywall with a layer of foam insulation between the requirements provides, combining energy-efficiency
drywall and exterior canvas. There were plenty of places for mice measures with on-site low-carbon technologies,” said
to get in, with ‘gaps between the door and threshold, gaps be- John Sinfield, managing director of Knauf Insulation.
tween the outer canvas tent and inner insulated wall and holes “The Sustainable Energy Association has a vital role to
in the exterior walls or floors.’ play in shaping this agenda.”
Mice in dry areas of the US often carry hantavirus. Humans
are infected when they breathe in dust carrying bits of the dried
droppings or urine. Europe: Five new SVHCs proposed
T he European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

has proposed five more substances of
very high concern (SVHC) to the European
Commission (EC) for authorisation under REACH.
The Candidate List of SVHCs that may be subject
to authorisation now stands at 151.
The five chemicals include two carcinogens,
aluminosilicate refractory ceramic fibres and
zirconia aluminosilicate refractory ceramic fibres,
which are both used in high temperature, electri-
cal and acoustic insulation. The industrial solvent
The ‘signature’ cabins at the Yosemite National Park in California have now been dismantled to DMF was also listed due to its reprotoxic (repro-
prevent further spread of the deadly hantavirus. ductive sterilisation) side-effects.
ECHA’s Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic
US: ISO 9001:2008 certification for Analysis Committees will review and consider
any comments before reaching a final decision,
Mid-Mountain Materials after which the EC will decide whether or not to
M id-Mountain Materials, producers of high-temperature

resistant insulation materials, was granted ISO 9001:2008
certification in February 2014.
grant the applicants an authorisation for the uses
applied for. The number of substances on the
Authorisation List currently stands at 22.
Worldwide: Polypropylene foams market worth US$1.90bn by 2018
T he report ‘Polypropylene foams market by application

(automotive, packaging, consumer products and oth-
ers), by type (expanded polypropylene foams and extruded
nations, emerging south-east Asia and Latin American na-
tions will continue to grow at a steady rate.
Demand for polypropylene foams is high across the
polypropylene foams) and geography - trends and forecasts packaging, bedding and furniture, building and construc-
to 2018,’ was released in February 2014. The report analysed tion and automotive industries and is forecast to continue
the global polypropylene foams market with respect to mar- to increase until 2018. Polypropylene foams are a material
ket drivers, opportunities and trends in different regions. of choice in many industries and for many applications due
The global polypropylene foams market was worth to the low cost and high performance.
US$1.02bn in 2012 and is estimated to reach US$1.90bn by The global economy, which continues to recover from
2018, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) the global financial crisis, will boost automotive sales and
of 11.4% from 2013 to 2018. the housing market, which are projected to drive polypro-
Asia-Pacific has the highest demand for polypropylene pylene foam demand. Affordable housing construction in
foams, both in terms of volume and value, followed by emerging economies in particular will be a strong driving
Europe and North America. The market in China, Japan, force. The outlook for the polypropylene foams market is in
Germany, Brazil, and Russia are expected to persist as parallel with projections for the recovering global economy
the most successful, while eastern and central European and manufacturing industries.
36 Global Insulation Section March 2014 www.GlobalInsulation.com

Contents Subscribe
GLOBAL INSULATION
Ad Index
Grazyna Mitchener, Polychemtech Ltd, UK
AMIPs – A new generation of insulation products
UK-based Polychemtech was established in 2008 as a globally-active and environmentally-

friendly company with extensive experience in urethane chemistry and manufacturing.
With expertise in insulation, new product development and heat-resistant materials,
Polychemtech aims to bridge the gap between modern scientific discoveries and materials
manufacturing. Here Grazyna Mitchener, director and principal consultant of Polychemtech,
describes the on-going development of active multifunctional insulation products (AMIPS)
and the future of the thermal insulation industry.
Introduction
not put into wide-spread use until 1960-1970. It con-
I n the last 50 years the insulation industry has made

enormous progress at improving all traditional
insulation materials, as well as inventing innovative
stitutes a green material as up to 95% of its volume
is air. The remaining 5% is sand, rendering it non-
combustible. Aerogel has an incredibly low thermal
man-made products. The industry has delivered conductivity of 4-5mW/mK, as well as extremely
sophisticated mineral fibres, foamed plastics such good temperature-resistance. It is also fully recycla-
as expanded (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS) ble, reverting back to sand and air at the end of its
and advanced polymeric materials like polyure- life-cycle. Aerogel is probably the closest thing to the
thene (PUR), polyisocyanurate (PIR) and phenolic ‘holy grail’ of the thermal insulation industry, but it is
foams (PF). also fragile, rigid, difficult to cut and expensive.
PIR and PF lay claim to aged thermal conduc- Companies like Aspen Aerogels, GreenTech,
tivity (λ) values of 21mW/mK, half of the thermal Cabots and ThermaBlok have modified the original
conductivity of traditional insulation materials. aerogel into speciality insulation products, although
Despite being organic, they have good thermal and it is unlikely that they will become commodity build-
fire-resistance properties, which were confirmed ing products. The main role of aerogel is as a model
in different national and international fire tests, material for next-generation insulation products.
including B-2 (DIN 4102), Euroclass B and C (EN
13823), FM, LPCB 1181, BS 476 Class O. They are Nano-foams
airtight, moisture-resistant, windproof, moth-proof, The secret of the extremely low thermal conductivity
mice-proof, easy to install and very durable. They are of aerogel is rationalised by the theoretical relation-
very light, with core densities as low as 26-27kg/m3. ship between cell size and thermal conductivity
The boards can be manufactured at speeds of above value (Figure 2). As proven by aerogel, a significant
70m/min, which makes them economical to produce. reduction of thermal conductivity can be expected
The improvement of all types of insulation mate- only when the cells fall below 0.1μm in size, prefer-
rials to date has been outstanding, but the appetite
for further improvement, especially of thermal resist-
ance, is still voracious.
The most common approach to improve thermal
conductivity is by developing new formulations and
processing technologies that reduce the size of the
foam cells. Many manufacturers still claim some
success in this area, however the extent of thermal
Left - Figure 1: Silica aerogel,
conductivity improvement seems disproportional to
discovered in 1931, has very low
the effort, time and resources put into development. thermal conductivity. A flower
The evolutionary development of any of the insula- placed on a piece of silica aerogel
tion materials, whether it is PIR, PUR, PF, EPS, XPS is completely protected from the
heat of the Bunsen burner.
or mineral fibres, has practically reached the end of
the road. To achieve further improvements a more
revolutionary approach is needed.
Aerogel
Aerogel offers the inspiration for such a revolution
(Figure 1). It was first discovered in 1931, but was

GLOBAL INSULATION
Right - Figure 3: The flexibility

and enhanced resistance to com-
pression of NASA’s polymer-
modified aerogel enables
applications in clothing, insula-
tion of pipes and water heaters,
tents and sleeping bags.
Far right - Figure 4: UCLA’s
transparent solar cells could pave
the way for bright, full-of-light
houses with ‘active windows.’
ably below the ‘magic’ number of 0.068μm, which is property; historically, houses have been built with
the mean free path of air molecules at atmospheric as little window area as possible to reduce heat
pressure. The average cell size in commodity insula- loss, however, humans need significant amounts of
tion materials is between 50-200μm. Even if it were good quality daylight to be mentally and physically
possible using current technologies to reduce the cell healthy. A window made of silica aerogel has the
size by 500%, it would not dramatically reduce ther- same thermal insulation as 15 traditional window
mal conductivity. To do so, a thousand-fold cell size frames put together, but applications are usually re-
reduction would be needed. As such, next-generation stricted to glass roofs or skylights as the aerogel is not
insulation products will have to be nano-foams with totally transparent like normal glass. Researchers at
open cell morphologies, like aerogel. Wisconsin University have already found that the
The development of polymeric nano-foam ma- reason for the haziness of the aerogel is that the aero-
terials is already underway. Polymer-modified silica gel is manufactured in gravity. While this problem
aerogels have been extensively researched by NASA can be fixed, it will not be cheap.
(Figure 3), while organic aerogels comprising vari-
ous polymers are also being widely researched.1 The Solar power photovoltaic windows
industry will have access to polymeric nano-foams in Aerogel is a very interesting, multifunctional mate-
due course, although it is hard to predict which poly- rial, but it is still just a passive insulator. Increasingly,
mer will be the most suitable for commercialisation. houses are becoming ‘active houses,’ which are
equipped with photovoltaic solar panels to create
Multifunctional insulation their own energy. A standard set of solar panels,
Improving thermal conductivity is one direction in even in often apparently gloomy countries like the
which the industry is striving. The second important UK or northern Germany, can produce 30-50% of
direction is the design of multifunctional insulation the house’s electricity needs. Given that the efficiency
products, for which the aerogel could also be a model, of current solar panels is 12-13%, it can be projected
given that it is translucent, moisture-resistant and that it will not take long before many houses will
attenuates noise. make enough energy to cover their consumption and
Translucency is a particularly highly valued eventually become net electricity producers.
30
25
Thermal conductivity (mW/mK)
20
Left - Figure 2: Thermal 15

conductivity of foams as a
function of the average cell size.
10
0
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000
Cell size (μm)
38 Global Insulation Section March 2014 www.GlobalInsulation.com

GLOBAL INSULATION
insulation products should be like ‘Dynamic Glass,’

which is a material with an electrochromatic coating
that can be tinted to different degrees by passing a Far left - Figure 5: Soladigm’s
small electric current through it (Figure 5). The tint is Dynamic Glass is controlled
intelligently controlled manually or automatically in automatically for optimal light
order to stop or allow the heat and light in. and heat conditions within the
building. The product reduces
The IT systems that can be applied to control insu- solar gain, thus reducing cooling
lation products according to the needs of the building costs and energy use.
occupants and external conditions are already avail-
able and cheaper than everybody thinks. They can
optimise the insulation performance, control light
and solar gain and manage electricity generation si-
Admittedly, current solar panels are relatively multaneously. Internet connectivity may even allow
primitive, but innovative solutions are already remote control of the insulation materials from any-
around the corner. For instance, scientists in UCLA, where in the world using a tablet or a smart phone.
USA have developed translucent photovoltaic panels
(Figure 4). While their efficiency is currently low at Concluding remarks
about 4%, in a few years this technology may provide The future of the thermal insulation industry is
a completely new concept of ‘active’ windows when bright, but the real winners will be those who look
combined with translucent polymeric aerogels. beyond the improvement of traditional insulation
materials and start creating the new generation of
Paintable solar power cells Active Multifunctional Insulation Products (AMIPs).
The other way to have ‘active’ insulation prod- These products will be made of polymeric nano-
ucts is to use ‘spray-on’ or ‘paintable’ solar power foams with very low thermal conductivity (λ) and
cells, which are currently being developed at the low emissivity (E). They will allow light transmis-
University of Alberta, Canada. These photovoltaic sion, control solar gain, reduce noise, be flexible
materials are made with nanoparticles that are just and intelligently controlled. The new generation of
30-40 atoms across and are very cheap to produce insulation products will be developed by exploiting
from zinc and phosphorus. The particles’ efficiency the deep knowledge of heat transfer and emissivity
is currently less than 10%, but one should remem- physics, chemistry of polymers and the science of
ber that the steam engine was only 2% efficient at polymer processing.
the time of its invention. Increasing the efficiency of The sky is the limit in the development of AMIPs.
these materials will be much faster than in the case of The good news is that the insulation industry does
the steam engine. not have to wait for the ultimate ‘all singing and
The most obvious application for paintable solar dancing’ solution. New products may not combine
power cells are coatings on insulation sandwich pan- all of the functions mentioned above, but if they can
els, which are often used for large industrial buildings. provide at least some of them at the same time and be
The huge surface area of the sandwich panels can prefabricated off-site, they will find their way to the
produce significant amounts of energy even with the hearts and pockets of builders.
low efficiency of the solar paint currently available.
After several years they can be repainted with new
generation, more efficient solar power paint.
Solar gain
There is still one phenomenon with which current
insulation materials don’t cope well; solar gain. Ideal
Left - Figure 6: Current IT

systems enable the control of
References Dynamic Glass remotely from
any place in the world using a
1a. C. S. Ashley, C. J. Brinker, D. M. Smith, Journal of tablet or a smart phone.
non-crystalline solids, volume 285, 2001.
1b. G. Mitchener, Polimery, volume 54, issue 4, 64-67,
2014.

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GLOBAL GYPSUM: THE LAST WORD
What happens if China fails?
Robert McCaffrey Editor, Global Gypsum Magazine (rob@propubs.com)
I ’ve sometimes been accused of being slightly morose,

with a cynical take on the world, but I prefer to think
of it as seeing the world as it really is, and being better
time, however, the construction industry has run red
hot, with the result of hundreds of thousands or millions
of apartments and other homes standing empty (remi-
prepared than if I were to wander around wearing rose- niscent, in fact, of the height of the sub-prime fiasco in
tinted spectacles. So when I recently noticed an increase the US). One of the problems now facing China is that
in reports about China’s growing economic troubles, my the loans that were made to build these assets are now
ears pricked up. I’ve long been a sceptic about the sus- non-performing, and will eventually have to be written
tainability of China’s meteoric growth, even after having off in part or in whole.4 The amount of loans made - by
been to the country and seen for myself the jaw-dropping both state-sanctioned banks and the ‘shadow’ banking
construction projects and scale of building work that sector is thought to be in the order of US$14-15tr. If the
seemingly never stops. Flying from skyscraper-studded number of loans going bad and being written off spikes
Shanghai, below, (where I have travelled on a 400km/hr for any reason, then we could see a knock-on effect
maglev train to the airport) back into low-rise London similar to that seen in the US after the failure of Lehman
felt to me like passing from the 23rd to the 15th century. Brothers.
Presuming that it would take the Chinese state some
time to restore financial order, what would be the effects
on the wider world if China’s economy were to stumble?
If Chinese steel production were to be hit, then global
iron ore prices would slump, since China is the preemi-
nent buyer of iron ore and many other metals: mining
stocks worldwide would slide (offering a buying oppor-
tunity to any brave and long-sighted optimist). Chinese
However, there is development and there is develop- building materials producers - including gypsum wall-
ment. China has made a very good living for the last 20 board - would find that their buyers have gone on an
or 30 years, since late-lamented leader Deng Xiaoping ‘extended holiday’ and would have to mothball many of
let loose the full forces of Chinese-style capitalism, using their existing facilities and to cancel or at least postpone
very low-paid workers to make goods that were exported any plans for expansion. We’ve seen this happening in
around the world in exchange for hard currency. This much of Europe and in the US over the last six years, so
has led China to have one of the largest balance-of-trade we know that it can and indeed has to happen. The banks
surpluses in the world, averaging around US$58bn per will inevitably be restructured and will have to be bailed-
month between 1983 and 2014 and totalling US$320bn out, perhaps using some of those foreign reserves, and
in January 2014 alone.1 China’s current foreign reserves perhaps this will be a catalyst for some further scaling-
are an astonishing US$3.3 trillion, the largest in the back of state involvement in a number of industries, with
world and far larger yet than the second largest, Japan’s, some facilities even being sold off to make ends meet (in
at around US$1tr.2 Although private enterprise has the same way that Greece is selling some of its islands).
been allowed to flourish, the state sector in China is still Perhaps these factory sell-offs might allow some of the
huge, with many industries dominated by state-owned international gypsum producers a further toe-hold in
enterprises, and making up around 40% of the total the Chinese market, if they wanted to risk it.
economy.3 The state therefore has its hand on the throttle The photo of Shanghai is from http://www.gigapan.com/gigapans/66626 and is the
of the economy and can cause the whole machine to run largest photo in the world: it’s well worth a detailed look!
at full speed or at idle. As we all know, the machine has 1 http://www.tradingeconomics.com/china/balance-of-trade
been running at full throttle for years, averaging GDP 2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_exchange_reserves_of_the_People’s_Repub-
growth of above 10% for most of the years between 1980 lic_of_China
and 2010. However, this has come with a huge over- 3 http://blogs.worldbank.org/eastasiapacific/state-owned-enterprises-in-china-how-
investment in industrial capacity, such that the central big-are-they
government is now busily closing and demolishing 4 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-14/china-banks-bad-loans-rise-to-
swathes of older and inefficient industries. At the same highest-since-financial-crisis.html

GLOBAL GYPSUM: ADVERTISER INDEX
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- Operator training
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GRENZEBACH BSH GmbH

www.grenzebach.com
Advertisers: March 2014

Claudius Peters 9 www.claudiuspeters.com
Erisim Makina 21, 23 www.erisimmak.com
Global Gypsum Conference & Exhibition 27, 42 www.globalgypsum.com/conferences
Global Gypsum Directory 2014 31 www.globalgypsum.com/directory
Global Insulation Conference & Exhibition 4, 33 www.globalinsulation.com/conferences
Grenzebach FC, IFC, IBC www.grenzebach.com
Gypsum Technologies Inc OBC www.gypsumtechnologies.com
Hillhead Quarrying & Recycling Show 2014 34 www.hillhead.com
Gebr. Pfeiffer SE 5 www.gpse.de
Limab 11 www.limab.com
Schenck Process 6 www.schenckprocess.com
SICIT 2000 SpA 17 www.sicit2000.it
Next issue: May 2014 Following issue: July 2014

Advertising deadline: 26 April 2014 Advertising deadline: 28 June 2014
Packaging, bagging, palletising, storage Combustion, board liner, FGD

Conveying, quarrying, recycling Surfactants, weighing
Country report: UK Country report: Asia
Global gypsym news, global insulation news Global gypsym news, global insulation news
To advertise: Paul Brown - paul.brown@propubs.com +44 (0) 1372 840 950

Sören Rothfahl - soeren.rothfahl@propubs.com +44 (0) 1372 840 857
Editorial contributions: editorial@propubs.com +44 (0) 1372 743 837
14TH GLOBAL GYPSUM CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION

gl bal
gypsum
29-30 September 2014, Berlin, Germany
• All types of gypsum products • Industry trends
CONFERENCE • Cutting-edge research • Details: www.GlobalGypsum.com

High-tech production plants
Grenzebach – Ready for your

Gypsum Wall Block Challenge

- High-precision metering and processing systems
- High surface quality and dimensional accuracy
- Constant technology upgrades and improvements
- Customized levels of automation
- Integration of the equipment into existing or new buildings
- Turn-key production lines, including packaging systems
Grenzebach – Your perfect partner

in Gypsum Technology
www.grenzebach.com
GRENZEBACH BSH GmbH
GRENZEBACH Corporation
USA | Phone: +1 770 253-4980 | info.gn@grenzebach.com
GRENZEBACH Machinery (Shanghai) Ltd.
China | Phone: +86 21 6126-8000 | info.gs@grenzebach.com
grenz_Anzeige_GipsWandbauplatten_210x297.indd 1 26.02.13 12:33

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Gyptech July 2012.indd 1 11/09/2012 15:16

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Global gypsum news Global insulation news Drying technologies Russian gypsum industry Active multifunctional insulation products

MARCH 2014 MAGAZINE

Solutions for your success

Grenzebach – Your perfect partner in Gypsum Technology

GRENZEBACH BSH GmbH

Boost your success – Grenzebach is here to assist you with:

Grenzebach – Your perfect partner

grenz_Anzeige_Gips_210x297.indd 1 26.02.13 12:30

This issue’s front cover...

supplies turnkey manufacturing lines for - Operator training

www.GlobalGypsum.com Global Gypsum Magazine March 2014 3

14 invests in new gypsum plant in Brazil; Volma buys Belgips.

12 Challenges with clay-contaminated stuccos

14 From the proven Grenzebach Jet-Type Dryer to the

18 Grenzebach presents the first drying technology designed

16 An introduction to cement-containing boards

18 Steady growth for the Russian gypsum industry

24 In discussion: Michael McCamley

28 In discussion: Markus Müller

30 A year in the North American gypsum industry

37 AMIPS- A new generation of insulation products

9TH GLOBAL INSULATION CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION

4 Global Gypsum Magazine March 2014 www.Global Gypsum.com

Other Pfeiffer machines

SLV high-efficiency separator

GK gypsum kettle for

TRT Triplex dryer

MRD ball mill

MPS 200 GC in Russia

GEBR. PFEIFFER SE · Barbarossastraße 50-54 · 67655 Kaiserslautern · Germany

As a global leader in bulk material handling

GlobalGypsumAd-FINAL.indd 1 1/2/13 2:25 PM

DIARY DATES For further information and links, see www.globalgypsum.com

Weimarer Gipstagung - Weimar Gypsum 

6 Global Gypsum Magazine March 2014 www.GlobalGypsum.com

US: CertainTeed invites professionals to enter international gypsum competition

C ertainTeed has invited building professionals to enter

www.GlobalGypsum.com Global Gypsum Magazine March 2014 7

I n a campaign against illegal gypsum min-

U SG Corporation has reported fourth quarter 2013 net

8 Global Gypsum Magazine March 2014 www.GlobalGypsum.com

We make it our business

We know how claudiuspeters.com

HEADQUARTERS: CLAUDIUS PETERS PROJECTS GmbH

If any problems arise concerning this document,

U S gypsum wallboard producer Eagle Materials re-

Belarus/Russia: Belgips sold to Russia’s Volma

B elarus-based Belgips was sold to Russia’s Volma Corpora-

10 Global Gypsum Magazine March 2014 www.GlobalGypsum.com

K nauf plans to set up a 20Mm2/yr plant in

B uilding industry expert and long-time

Dimensional profile measurement and

Dr Michael Schinabeck, BASF Construction Solutions GmbH

Challenges with clay-contaminated stuccos

I n the gypsum wallboard production process

Right - Figure 1: Characteristic BNS

Right - Figure 2: Water - wallboard plants. Strong thickening

0.7 observable at low

12 Global Gypsum Magazine March 2014 www.GlobalGypsum.com

0-3% 0-3% Left - Figure 3: Characteristic

stuccos were used to define the BASF inter- 0.84 -2

0.82 0 Left - Figure 5: Performance

www.GlobalGypsum.com Global Gypsum Magazine March 2014 13

Reinhold Scheiblich, Grenzebach BSH GmbH

Weimarer Gipstagung - Weimar Gypsum