Articles on the gypsum industry from Global Gypsum

2nd Global GypSupply Conference & Exhibition on gypsum supply trends and technology

22 - 23 February 2023, Brussels, Belgium

The second real-world edition of the Global GypSupply Conference and Exhibition on rock, synthetic and recycled gypsum has successfully taken place in Brussels, Belgium, with 65 delegates in attendance from 23 countries. The event was organised in cooperation with Eurogypsum, the European gypsum association.

Jörg Ertle of Etex and Eurogypsum (pictured above) gave a welcome and introduction. An elderly building stock in Europe means continued demand for gypsum based products. The EU intends to be carbon neutral by 2050, with the EU’s Green Deal includes a strong push towards energy-efficient buildings, with 35 million buildings to be renovated by the deadline. Gypsum is a building material of choice for several reasons: it is infinitely recyclable; it is much faster than wet construction methods; it is affordable; it has a relatively low embedded carbon footprint; and it can help to reduce carbon emissions during use. Jörg pointed out that gypsum is a strategic material, which is crucial to a number of industries. 17.5Mt of natural gypsum was used in the European industry in 2021, 7Mt of FGD gypsum and 1.4Mt of recovered gypsum. No coal-based power generation will take place in the EU by 2050, so that new FGD gypsum supply will reduce to zero by the same time. Natural gypsum will inevitably take the place of synthetic gypsum supply, but opportunities are limited, since around 35% of the EU will be protected for nature under the Natura 2000 plan. Mining and quarrying of gypsum will need to show careful consideration for biodiversity and nature in order to retain their ‘license to operate.’ Other industrial sources of synthetic gypsum will become more important, including gypsum from water treatment. Jörg concluded that recycling has had a good start in the EU, but that it has a long way to go.

Vincent Basuyau of DG Grow, part of the European Commission, spoke about the strategic issue of raw materials in the EU. Raw materials in the EU represent well-developed value chains, including plenty of jobs. Global demand for raw materials is likely to double by 2060, and global demand is set to outstrip global supply. The European Raw Materials initiative of 2008 had three ‘pillars’; the first was to diversify global supply at the same time as promoting global sustainable extraction; secondly to improve investment procedures to promote EU resources; and finally to promote circularity and efficient use of resources. Gypsum is not yet on the list of EU critical raw materials, meaning that its supply is not currently in doubt. The supply (and recycling) of lithium for EV batteries will need to be increased by 50x by 2050 in the EU, and there is a possibility that gypsum might be generated during this process. The European Action Plan for Critical Raw Materials, launched in 2020, reiterates the importance of robust supply chains for raw materials, as well as the elimination of distortions in international trade and full compliance with EU international obligations. The Critical Raw Material Act of 2023 will further all of these aims, as well as stockpiling to form strategic reserves of certain raw materials. A ‘Critical Raw Materials Club’ will bring together raw materials consumers and resource-rich countries to foster cooperation.

Joe Harder of OneStone Consulting next gave an outlook for the European plasterboard industry to 2030. Production is expected to continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.5 - 2.5% to 2030. Joe took issue with the suggestion that reusing factory-produced waste is recycling, and in the same way that offcuts at the construction site, never actually used, might be considered as recycling, and instead insisted that they should only be considered as ‘recovered’ materials. The Federal Association of the Germany Gypsum Industry suggests that FGD gypsum production in the EU will cease by 2038. However, Joe pointed out that the rise of renewable power has not displaced coal, but has displaced nuclear and gas instead. In Germany and Poland, coal has increased its share of power generation in the last few years, and FGD gypsum production has not slowed down in the last two years, compared to pre-Covid. Joe forecast that recycled gypsum supply will increase by 2.6x by 2030 to a total of 6Mt in the EU.

Tristan Suffys of Eurogypsum spoke about best practice in gypsum mining in Europe. He first pointed out that nature is in a state of crisis, and is facing a biodiversity emergency. Europe now has a strategy to protect 30% of both land and sea areas by 2030, as well as having a new ‘pollinators strategy.’ Of course, quarrying operations have a huge opportunity to manage biodiversity during mining and after activities have ceased. Temporary ponds can be created during quarrying, as well as leaving areas to provide continuity, and even shifting topsoil and biotas to areas close by, and all can help to preserve biodiversity. Quarry restoration, in order to promote biodiversity, is now essential in quarrying plans in the EU. Tristan suggested that quarrying can actually increase the biodiversity of an area, through the creation of new and varied habitats that were not previously present. Eurogypsum was a partner in the publication of the ‘Extractive Sector Species Protection Code of Conduct.’

Scott Coley of Atritor Ltd next spoke about the company’s dryer-pulveriser machine for milling, drying and classifying rock gypsum. The company’s turbo-separator equipment can alternatively be used to separate gypsum from the facing paper of gypsum board. The solution provides a 99.5% separation efficiency, and Scott mentioned that the key to the process is to not grind the material too finely, or it will be difficult to separate the constituents. The less moisture that the plasterboard has, the better will be the separation efficiency, although up to 10% moisture is not a problem.

At the end of the first day of the event, delegates enjoyed a lively dinner and quiz at the conference hotel, followed by a social at a local brasserie.

Second day

Jean-Luc Marchand, mineral resources director for Saint-Gobain, but speaking at the conference in his role as the chair of Eurogypsum’s Raw Material Committee, was the first speaker on the second day of the conference, on the subject of gypsum recycling in Europe. According to Eurogypsum, 26Mt of gypsum was used in the EU in 2022: 67% was natural rock, 27% was FDG gypsum, 3% was internal recovery and 3% was recycling gypsum. Around 700,000t of construction and demolition waste, CDW, was used as a gypsum source. Jean-Luc suggested that one plant in the EU uses up to 40% recycled gypsum in its raw material supply. He gave details of a French study which suggested that only up to 20% of gypsum supply could be derived from recycling in the future, and he suggested that Germany would have the same situation. He pointed out that to improve these numbers, gypsum companies will need to establish systems for plasterboard collection and logistics, and for processing. “Who pays for that?” He asked. It all depends on the cost of landfilling. When the cost of recycling is higher than the cost of landfilling and the cost of other sources of gypsum, then it becomes uneconomic for the recycler to recycle. He concluded that ‘high quality gypsum waste is crucial for closed loop recycling.’

Maarten Hendriks of New West Gypsum Recycling next gave an overview on European and North American gypsum recycling markets. Maarten pointed out that working with the plasterboard manufacturer is a crucial step towards establishment of successful recycling scheme. For interest’s sake, Maarten had asked ChatGPT to write a section of his presentation. The AI made a few good points, as well as making a number of incorrect or spurious claims, so Maarten switched back to his human-written presentation. He pointed out that when recycled gypsum is used in the cement industry, it is ‘downcycled,’ in that it reduces in value and it never comes back: it is no longer available to the circular economy. The cement industry is also more tolerant of a lower-quality gypsum, which does not tend to encourage higher quality waste recovery. Sweden stipulates that all boards sold on the market must contain at least 17% recycled gypsum, and this has strongly promoted the recycling industry in Scandinavia. France is also ramping up recycling, while the UK already has a major recycling sector, due to the dearth of availability of FGD gypsum. In Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece, gypsum is hardly recycled, if at all. Eastern Europe has shown interest in recycling, but actual activity has so far been low. Canada’s recycling sector is relatively well-developed, but the main competitor to recycling is the possibility of cheap landfilling in the US. He pointed out that many US plasterboard plants are not actively recovering board, but instead are stockpiling it in stacks close to the plant. Total volume recycled and recovered for the whole of the US is only 100,000t per year, although shortages of FGD gypsum will eventually be the trigger for higher recycling rates in the US in the coming years. Maarten suggested that recycling of wallboard in the rest of the world is practically non-existent, although there is early interest. He concluded that the most successful areas for recycling are where raw materials prices are going up, where legislation forces recycling rates (and bans or makes landfilling expensive) and where recyclers can work hand in hand with board producers.

Christian Pritzel of the University of Siegen gave the penultimate presentation on the chemical barriers to gypsum recycling. He pointed out that recycling a gypsum crystal, with an intermediate heating stage to 150°C to simulate a plasterboard dryer, leads to a roughening of the crystal surface and more nucleation sites, more branching crystals and smaller new crystals. This leads to different properties, porosity and strength of gypsum-based building materials. The addition of citric acid to the stucco mix will result in shorter crystals with a larger diameter, and lower strength. Retarders and polycarboxylate ethers (PCEs) have different effects, while the combination of different additives can have complex and difficult-to-predict effects on crystal morphologies.

In the final presentation of the conference, Marcus Levermore of Enowa-Neom gave details of a new seawater desalination project that is likely to create significant quantities of synthetic gypsum. Neon is a region in northwest Saudi Arabia, on the Red Sea, consisting of a number of significant urban and industrial developments, including the Line, the Oxagon, Trojina, and the Southern Cluster. The desalination plant will produce 1Mm³ of water each day, enough for around nine million homes. The plant is designed for zero liquid discharge, and instead of discharging brine will valourise the brine into new products instead, including salts, soda ash, potassium, bromine, lithium and rubidium, magnesium and gypsum. The plant is expected to produce up to 1.8Mt of synthetic gypsum each year, at a purity of >95%, with low Na And Cl, and at less than 10% moisture. First gypsum production is slated for 2027.

Delegates voted for their three favourite presentations on the conference survey: Christian Pritzel was third for his talk on the effects of additives on crystal morphology; Jean-Luc Marchand speaking for Eurogypsum was second with his presentation on the status of recycling in Europe, while Maarten Hendriks of New West Gypsum Recycling was the winner for his global overview of gypsum recycling trends.

Attendees very strongly praised the event for its excellent networking opportunities, the lively discussions (seen below) and the useful knowledge gained.

• Well organized
• Congratulations for the good job.
• Thank you so much for your kind cooperation
• Thank you for authenticity and structured organization with also some appreciated fun
• You are making a good job
• Good conference
• Thank you for great work

Image gallery for the 2nd Global GypSupply Conference & Exhibition, 22 - 23 February 2023, Brussels, Belgium

20th Global Gypsum Conference, Exhibition & Awards
2 - 3 November 2022, Lisbon, Portugal

The 20th Global Gypsum Conference, Exhibition and Awards took place 2 - 3 November at the Estoril Congress Centre near Lisbon, Portugal, alongside the 15th Global Insulation Conference, and attracted around 370 delegates in total with around 50 exhibition stands. The conference will next take place in Chicago in 2023.

Joerg Ertle - president Eurogypsum and executive in charge of the central Corporate Social Responsibility activities of Etex - opened the 20th Global Gypsum conference, and mentioned that Eurogypsum has just celebrated its 60 birthday. He went on to describe the working of Eurogypsum, which is based on a number of working groups staffed by participants in the industry. Main groups are raw materials, environment and sustainability and the technical and scientific committee. Joerg pointed out that gypsum is a readily-recyclable mineral, which lends itself to the still-developing circular economy. Joerg pointed out that energy costs have risen by 30 - 40% in the last few months, and prices are expected to stay high for an extended period. Volumes are already being hit by production and product cost hikes. Joerg reminded delegates of the many benefits of gypsum and of insulation, and of lightweight construction in general.

Tristan Suffys, secretary general of Eurogypsum, was the second speaker at the joint event, and he spoke eloquently about the ‘vibes’ of gypsum: that it is versatile, integral (to construction), beautiful, economical and sustainable. The European Green Deal was first proposed in 2019 but has had to be rethought in light of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine. However, the ultimate aim of the Green Deal is to ensure that Europe as a whole is climate neutral by 2050. At the moment, the EU is not on course to achieve its aim. Minimum energy performance standards will strongly promote renovation of the worst-performing buildings, boosting wallboard and insulation consumption in the long term. Byproduct gypsum may become available from lithium production in the future. The Saint-Gobain’s plant at Fredrikstad in Norway should become fully electrified by early 2023.
 
Joe Harder from OneStone Consulting then stepped up to present the findings of his company’s forthcoming report ‘Plasterboard Industry Focus 2030’ (PIF 2030). The PIF 2030, which covers 72 wallboard-producing nations, forecasts that the sector will grow from a value of US$17.3bn in 2021 to as much as US$21.3bn in 2025 and then US$27.1bn in 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.7% expected. China will see moderate growth to 2030, with North America expected to see a slight decline and Europe to remain constant. The bulk of the growth over the next eight years will come from the rest of the world, with market value expected to increase by 4.2%. Regarding wallboard production, the PIF 2030 forecasts a CAGR of 1.6% between 2021 and 2025, rising to a CAGR of 1.7% between 2025 and 2030. This will lead to the production of 13.5Bnm2 in that year if realised. As for capacity, Joe expects capacity utilisation to rise more moderately than capacity utilisation factor, which will increase from 70.9% in 2018 to 76.9% in 2030. In the second part of his presentation Joe focussed on the the EU27+UK market, where production volumes are expected to hit nearly 2Bnm2 by 2030 from around 1.7Bnm2 at present. Wallboard capacity will rise very slightly over the next decade following an absence of new facilities between 2019 and 2022. The presentation then highlighted local examples of gypsum supply, including the effects of new international crude sources in Oman, the effects of coal-fired power plant closures across the EU on synthetic gypsum supplies, as well as the complexity of extracting crude gypsum in this sustainability-conscious market. Joe decried the imminent closure of Germany’s most efficient coal-fired power plant, which exhibits ‘phenomenal’ efficiency compared to others that use coal.
 
Rob Crangle from the United States Geological Survey spoke next, providing the audience with the view from the North American market, specifically the US. Rob outlined that crude gypsum volumes have fallen from the 21.7Mt extracted in 2019 to 21.2Mt in 2020 and 2021, with a drop to 20.8Mt expected for 2022. The decline since 2019 can be attributed to lower numbers of workers available (in part due to Covid-19 effects), consolidation of existing operations and the absence of new quarries. At the same time, crude gypsum prices have risen, from around US$8.60/t in 2019 to an expected US$12.00/t by the close of 2022. The increase in price partly reflects lower volumes being extracted, coupled to rising demand from cement and wallboard producers, as well as rising inflation. Falling crude volumes have been partly off-set by gradual increases in the supply of synthetic gypsum from flue gas desulphurisation, which is expected to hit 15Mt in 2022. US wallboard volumes, meanwhile, reached 2.53Bm2 in 2021, a rise of 4.1% year-on-year from 2020 (2.43Bm²). For the first two quarters of 2022, Robert reported that US wallboard manufacturers produced 1.32Bm2 of wallboard. As seen with raw gypsum prices, wallboard sales prices have risen such that the sector’s sales will reach US$4.1bn in 2022, a 2.5% rise compared to US$4.0bn in 2021. Looking to the future, Robert also looked to new home starts, which hit a 15 year high at 1.6 million in 2021. A total of 1.44 million home starts are expected for 2022, a drop of around 10%, while renovations have now clearly passed their peak.
 
Jeff Warren of GypTech next spoke on advances in technology for wallboard production. Using cleaner energy in the form of green electricity for drying is one step, while improving dryer efficiency with heat exchangers and co-generation, and putting in less water in the first place by using smart additives, all reduce the embodied energy of the board. Greater efficiency in calcination and grinding is crucial, but Jeff pointed out that wallboard is already very energy efficient. Having a sustainable workforce is also crucial, part of which is ‘being a company that people want to work for,’ while more mundane jobs can often be automated. All aspects of gypsum production, from the design of the equipment to the production of the products, is now digitised, allowing sophisticated modelling and optimisation. New instrumentation is required to control the process and Gyptech has approximately 30 new instruments in development. Jeff concluded that AI is coming to gypsum production.
 
Peer Hanneke of Claudius Peters Projects GmbH then spoke about alternative thermal energy generation and energetic optimisation of the calcination system. Peer suggested that the use of natural gas in burners for calcination could be avoided by using either electrical heaters or with the use of hydrogen. Electrical heating is already possible, but higher powers and higher temperatures are more challenging, while hardware costs are higher than for natural gas heaters, perhaps two to three times higher, whereas currently electrical prices are significantly lower than for natural gas. Hydrogen burners are already available on the market, at only slightly higher prices than natural gas, although price per hydrogen megajoule is much higher (but is progressively decreasing). Hydrogen’s energy density is three times lower than for natural gas. Hydrogen can be stored at high pressure for long periods, and requires less space than for natural gas, but is expensive. Ammonia has been mooted as an energy carrier or ‘crude oil-like’ precursor for hydrogen production, which would make transportation and storage easier, although conversion losses make this form of energy even more expensive than direct use of hydrogen. Some combination of these technologies is likely, with local variations. 

The final presentation of the first day was given by Andreas Schieler of Gebr. pfeiffer, who spoke about grinding, drying and calcining in a single vertical roller mill. The Pfeiffer MPS mill is capable of grinding natural, synthetic and recycled gypsum, in a variety of ratios. Process gases are recirculated, along with a hot gas generator, to maximise thermal efficiency. Plant oil, biogas or hydrogen can all be used as fuels. Capacities of over 200t/hr are possible.

After the first day’s programme, delegates boarded buses to attend the Awards Dinner at Arriba, Guincho, a venue perched on a cliff-top overlooking the Atlantic, arriving just in time to see the sunset. The Global Gypsum Awards 2022 were presented at the event.

Second day

On the second day of the conference, Sebastian Scholl of Lutze International spoke about his company’s natural rubber setting/forming belts for gypsum-boards. He said that the belts have to be perfectly flat, with equal thickness along their length, in order to help to form perfect products. After every belt has been produced, Lutze does a pre-inspection and effects any required hot repairs, as well as checking thickness, and friction values on the top surface of the belt. If an endless belt has been ordered, then full documentation about the splicing method and expected lifetime is also provided.
 
Philipp Kunkel of Fagus-GreCon next spoke about x-ray scanning of both insulation and gypsum-boards. An x-ray source shines through the moving material bed, and is detected by a series of detectors under the belt. A resolution down to 1.6mm allows the detection of foreign bodies, but also enables the detection of both high and low densities in the material. This allows great control of the production process, and means that the process can be driven much closer to set points, either to increase production or quality, or to decrease product costs. The instrument can be used at different points in the process, allowing measurement of a variety of parameters and process variables.
 
Niklas Johansson of Gyptech Europe subsequently gave his presentation, “how to save the planet, one gypsum-board dryer at a time.” Dryers historically used coal-heated steam to dry the boards with no recovery of energy from exhaust gases, with an energy requirement of over 1000kCal/kg of water evaporated from the board. Recovery/reuse of the exhaust gas brought down the energy requirement to around 750kCal/kg, while air-to-air heat exchangers brought the requirement down to 650kCal/kg. Adding pre-heating or pre-drying zones, meaning a drying time of up to 80 minutes, would bring the energy consumption down to perhaps 550kCal/kg, but would mean a very large and long dryer. Alternative means need to be sought. Alternative fuels may be used, such as hydrogen, bark and other wood waste, rice husks or other biomass, using indirect heating for fuels that are not suitable for use in the dryer. The use of electricity for drying is a developing field, and if powered by renewables is fully carbon zero. Niklas announced a new patent-pending high-temperature heat pump using Sterling motors and super-heated water at 200°C to reduce energy requirements to around 360-450kCal/kg. The system can be retrofitted onto practically any dryer. A new system based entirely on heat pumps would have an energy requirement of only around 260kCal/kg,with a drying time of only 35 minutes.

Another Johansson, this time Bo, from Limab AB of Sweden, then spoke about non-contact laser measurement of gypsum-boards, for quality, process and environmental improvements. The system can accurately measure all aspects of boards, including edge tapers, and can also be used to measure shrinkage of boards through the dryer. More precise control of board thickness can be used to reduce wasted material, with knock-on reductions in CO₂ emissions.

Dennis Schattauer of Grenzebach next spoke about ‘megatrend greening.’ He pointed out that the environmental impact of industry will need to reduce to net zero by 2050, and said that “the environmental ambition of the Green Deal will not be achieved by acting alone.” Dennis reminded the audience that in a supply squeeze, natural gas supply will be prioritised for households rather for industry - a huge threat that points towards industry becoming more independent from fossil fuels. A conventional dryer has a high demand of thermal energy, typically in the order of 13MW, combined with a high temperature. Grenzebach’s new Ultra-High-Efficiency (UHE) dryer offers a reduction in specific energy consumption of 30%, down to 400 - 450kCal/kg H₂O. A 3D scan of existing factories will ensure proper integration of new equipment. SERICY is Grenzebach’s name for its digitalisation solutions, while the company also offers a full service option round the clock.

Mark Degroote of JBTC next sleyed some myths about automated guided vehicles (AGVs): that a plant has to be technically advanced; that a business is too unique for AGVs; that a plant’s existing systems will not interface with that of the AGVs; or that the plant would be obliged to completely change the way that it operates - all these myths are false. JBT has already automated 20 gypsum wallboard sites, with over one million journeys completed. An average of 11 AVGs are used per site, while each vehicle is capable of lifting up to 4.5t to a height of 7.5m. The laser-guided AGVs are equipped with extensive safety devices and these mobile robots have an excellent track record. Having robots look after the stacking means that there is built-in inventory tracking and ability to quickly and efficiently pick a variety of products for dispatch onwards to customers.

Rosy Scodro and Pierro Rizzi of Comec SRL next gave details of a continuous moulding line for gypsum panels, for which they won the award for Global Gypsum innovation of the year at the preceding night’s awards dinner. The company started in the Italian shoe industry, but has evolved into production of equipment for building materials. The new line can produce up to 5000 gypsum panels each day. The mixer used is similar to that used on a normal wallboard line, disgorging gypsum onto a forming line with continuous edge moulding. The panels are cut and air-dried on racks to avoid any thermal shocks. Edges are milled prior to packing and wrapping on pallets for dispatch.

Dany De Kock of Johns Manville (winner of a ‘Personality of the Year’ award the previous night) next spoke about DuraCore 303 fibreglass fibres, which are able to increase fire-ratings to higher levels than previously, or to the same level with less glass volume, while reducing shrinkage and avoiding problems with slurry viscosity at higher fibre concentrations.

Tomás Vivot from paper manufacturer Alier outlined his company’s aim to become the market leader of recycled paper and plastic and how it was aiming to supply a carbon neutral paper by 2024. He then introduced the company’s Value Added Paper from Alier (VAPA) concept, where it offers a consultation service to help its customers optimise production and reduce costs. He then ran through the company’s portfolio for the gypsum wallboard sector including High Performance products with reduced weight for the same strength as comparable papers, as well as products with water proofing, anti-fungal-, and anti-bacterial properties. In an example of a customer using the company’s High Performance paper he demonstrated that the lower weight allowed for a transport cost saving of Euro60,000/yr. A Hydro Performance product reported a water absorption or Cobb value of below 20g/m2. However, when asked, Vivot would not reveal what process is used to make Alier’s paper repel fungus, comparing the secret to that of the recipe for Coca Cola! He concluded his presentation by describing the company’s progress towards Sustainable Product Purchase Agreements, where it aims to encourage the uptake of sustainable products and practises.

Robert McCaffrey of Global Gypsum Magazine gave a late addition to the programme in the form of his presentation on how the cement industry is changing. His argument was that major cement companies have previously comprised combinations of adjacent production processes centred upon the key steps of cement, aggregate and concrete manufacture because this is where the best earnings reside. However, a mounting list of risks including increasing global carbon and fuel prices and recession fears may be encouraging the larger multinational cement companies to diversify away from cement, aggregate and concrete into connected sectors such as insulation, gypsum wallboard, construction chemicals, roofing and more. Rob McCaffrey gave examples from Holcim, Cemex, CRH, Heidelberg Materials and Votorantim Cimentos and also noted a trend from some of them to divest away from markets in some developing areas. He ended by pointing out that Lafarge’s decision to sell its wallboard business in the early 2010s might come to be viewed with hindsight as a mistake. The first audience question asked which wallboard and/or insulation company might be acquired by a cement company, leading McCaffrey to suggest that an answer “can be best discussed over several beers.”
 
David Appelfeld and Lucie Fraichard of Owens Corning (a company involved in manufacturing insulation, roofing and composites) pointed out that “we cannot build tomorrow with yesterday’s materials.” David pointed out that construction is moving from the massive and heavy to the light: from concrete and bricks to lightweight, high-performance materials and systems, including the use of glass-fibre-mat faced gypsum exterior sheathing boards. Lucie then showed how producers can reduce bleed-through of gypsum through facing glass mat by reducing pre-wetting of paper and by using multiple slurry spreader heads, but also by finely tuning the performance of the glass mat by changing its design and composition. OC is a world-leader in glass technology, and Lucie pointed out that glass-faced mats can be combined with glass fibre reinforcement to improve board performance.

Markus Mueller of Sika Services AG spoke about polycarboxylate ether (PCE) superplasticiser concepts that allow the reduction of water input into gypsum slurries. PCEs  are compatible with FGD gypsum and natural gypsum, and new formulations are more compatible with swelling clays.

The final presentation at the conference was given by Christian Pritzel of the University of Siegen who asked what happens to the various additives when plasterboard is recycled, potentially more than once? Do they influence and interact with each other? Clays in recycling are known from natural gypsum, and producers cope well enough, so that is not the largest problem. Christian pointed out that when pure gypsum crystals are subjected to temperatures of 140°C, typical of a dyer, the crystal faces become flakey, giving the crystal a much higher surface area. When that crystal is then rehydrated and crystals are allowed to grow (akin to a recycling step, the flakes form nucleation sites, leading many smaller crystals to grow. More cycles lead to more surface defects and many more but smaller crystals. Additives strongly affect crystal morphology, but their effects reduce with more heating/rehydration cycles. Dehydrate seeds can act as a ‘catcher’ for some additives. Christian finally concluded that the industry may need to move in the direction of only using additives that can be easily recycled, perhaps additives based just on gypsum.

Farewells and prizes

The awards for best presentation were presented at the Farewell Party at the spectacular Estoril Congress Centre. In third place was Dennis Schattauer of Grenzebach, with Niklas Johansson of Gyptech Europe in second place. However, proving that being last in the programme is sometimes not a disadvantage, the best presentation prize went to Christian Pritzel of the University of Siegen.

The conference was strongly praised by attendees, with 91% being satisfied with the event’s Covid testing regime, and others lauding the networking opportunities, gala dinner and technical programme.

The 21st Global Gypsum Conference will take place in November 2023 in Chicago.

Image gallery for the 20th Global Gypsum Conference and Exhibition, 2 - 3 November 2022, Lisbon, Portugal

19th Global Gypsum Conference, Exhibition & Awards
23 - 24 October 2019, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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The 19th Global Gypsum Conference, Exhibition and Awards has successfully taken place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with around 280 delegates from 39 countries and 37 exhibitors in attendance. The 20th Global Gypsum Conference will take place in Estoril, near Lisbon, Portugal, on 28 - 29 October 2020.

The 19th Global Gypsum Conference was attended by delegates from around the world, with especially large delegations from Asia, notably Japan, Thailand, India, Oman, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea and, especially, China. Substantial numbers of Germans and Americans were among the many delegates who had made substantial efforts to attend. The event started with a welcome reception in the exhibition area, at the InterContinental hotel, which was well attended and  saw delegates interacting with providers of equipment and services from around the world. Notable this year was the large number of Chinese technology providers.

At the start of the conference itself, Joe Harder, from OneStone Consulting, firstly pointed out that the available forecasts on the global gypsum are fairly poor. Using a variety of data, Joe presented updated statistics for the industry. He pointed out that China is the largest producer of natural gypsum, with a global market share of 28.2%, followed by the US, Iran, Thailand, Turkey, Spain and Oman. Around 241Mt of phosphogypsum is produced annually, and around 137Mt of FGD gypsum. The cement industry is the largest user worldwide, with a share of 57.3%, followed by wallboard, plaster and fertiliser. Joe suggested that worldwide capacity utilisation in the wallboard industry is 79%, with an average weight of 8.3kg/m^₂. The average capacity of a wallboard plant is around 31Mm²/yr. Dr Harder suggested that around 140 new wallboard plants will be built by 2035, with an average size of 50Mm²/yr.

Next Robert Morrow of Innogyps firstly reviewed the merger/takeover of USG and Knauf, suggesting that the merger is going well, with no significant issues in technology, culture or financing. Robert pointed out that new wallboard plants continue to be built around the world, primarily in the developing world, notably in India and Oman. Previously landfilled FGD gypsum may increasingly be mined, as well as calcium sulfite, which will also need a reprocessing step before use as gypsum. Gypsum supplies from FGD gypsum are precarious in some parts of the world where coal fired power is no longer in vogue, but in China and India there is no shortage, with increasing use of scrubbers on an increasing number of power plants. Robert commented on the politicisation of business and trade, with political factors increasingly important. He also suggested that one of the most important issues facing the industry is that of finding quality personnel, particularly with regards to their use of recreational drugs and opiates, retention issues and therefore higher training costs.

Shawn Xu next spoke on behalf of BNBM, the world’s largest gypsum company by capacity. The total consumption of gypsum in China in 2018 was 129Mt, of which 84% was synthetic gypsum. There are 16 wallboard lines with a capacity of over 50Mm² in China, with all of those with a capacity of below 10Mm²/yr now eliminated by the Chinese government. In 2018 the wallboard output of the country was 3.21Bm², with a value of Yuan25bn. In China 80% of gypsum board produced is used for ceilings and 9.5mm board makes up 85% of the total market. Chinese government plans stipulate that prefabricated buildings should account for 15% of new buildings by 2020 and for 30% by 2025. Wallboards will incorporate air-quality improvement characteristics, as well as being manufactured with decorative facings. “It is an inevitable trend that Chinese gypsum board enterprises will enter the world,” stated Shawn, before giving an unequivocal invitation to all independent wallboard producers worldwide to consider entering into partnership with BNBM. Lest it be overlooked, it is worth pointing out that this was probably one of the most significant sentences uttered in the whole of the event.

The next presentation was given by Elizabeth McCaffrey, on behalf of US industry expert Rob Crangle, on the effect of ‘cheap’ natural gas on synthetic gypsum costs in the US, using publicly-available data. Despite many coal-fired plants being retired, synthetic gypsum availability and use has increased, while millions of tonnes of synthetic gypsum are still being landfilled. More synthetic gypsum is produced than can currently be used, so that the price of gypsum, both natural and synthetic, has stayed stubbornly low in the US.

Leonid Friedmann of Claudius Peters next spoke on how Industry 4.0 will impact on the global gypsum industry. Leonid suggested that the use of his company’s CPportal can allow all users of a system to access all relevant data on a project, including spare parts data. QR codes on each piece of equipment can lead engineers to a full store of documentation online, including current revisions in real time. 3D models from laser scanning are now commonly used in both greenfield and brownfield project planning. Building Information Modelling (BIM) can also be used to optimise the building of new projects, and allows clients to see and influence the project outcome - including the use of immersive virtual reality. Continuing-on from BIM, a digital model or ‘twin’ can be used to test, in a virtual world, any modifications to the system, or to help to diagnose any problems. Meanwhile, back in the real world, a wide range of sensors can be used to monitor machine condition and the data can be used to manage maintenance and to avoid any catastrophic failures. Finally, data can be aggregated to allow comparisons between plants, for example in terms of energy consumption, in order to optimise plant performance.

Mark Flumiani of Gyptech, Canada, next gave his gypsum industry wish list: flexibility (such that a factory would be able to use different types of gypsum - synthetic, natural and recycled - or blends of different types); lower energy processing (particularly through reducing the amount of water used in manufacturing which must then be evaporated) and lower energy in use, such as those products that include an air barrier; that gypsum products should be seen as pure or ‘green’ (including processes to remove asbestos from recycled plasterboard, and processes to remove radioactivity from phosphogypsum); increased usability (lighter weight boards or lift-assisting technology); reduced labour during production (such as automatic dunnage, automated guided vehicles and machine learning); 100% accuracy (3D dimensional scanning of every board and automated void detection); beauty (aesthetic panels which might also include valuable physical properties such as acoustic attenuation or insulation, or even that just smell nice). Mark’s wish list points towards a to-do list for the gypsum industry.

Next up was Tim Collath of TEWS Elektronik GmbH & + Co. KG, who spoke about inline moisture-profile and density measurements of plasterboards with microwave technology. The company’s equipment can produce 2000 measurements per second with a repeatability of 0.03%. The best process locations to take measurements are before and after the dryer, while microwave measurements can also be taken from powder as well.

Meli Baran Kiliç of Erba Makina gave the final presentation on the first day of the conference, on improvements in foam-generating equipment. The self-contained unit that the company offers is physically robust and has already been supplied to wallboard producers in a number of countries around the world.

Global Gypsum Awards Dinner

After the end of the first day’s presentations, delegates boarded buses for the trip to the spectacular Tamarind Springs, where the Global Gypsum Awards were presented during dinner. Knauf Gips KG was awarded gypsum company of the year, GypTech received equipment supplier of the year and Sicit Group was named additive supplier of the year. The Saint-Gobain Placo Iberia Zaragoza plant received the gypsum plant of the year award and Georgia Pacific’s DensElement Barrier System received the award for gypsum-based product of the year. Gypsum innovation of the year was awarded to the Bozzetto Group’s Flube C40F fluidiser, while BNBM was awarded the prize for ‘outstanding contribution to the global gypsum industry,’ a repeat of the award it received in 2013. Four ‘gypsum personality of the year’ awards were made; Fevzi Aker from Erisim; Nicolás Alverde of Panel Rey; Bryce Neal from Evans Adhesive; and Ushio Sudo from Yoshino Gypsum of Japan.

Conference second day

Jeff Warren from Gyptech started the second day by suggesting that “it is more difficult to make board these days,” since lines are high speed, making lightweight board, with a diverse range of products, with complex chemistry on more complex equipment. Jeff asked which are the measurements and metrics that can help managers to make good board, that can help to produce good raw materials, that can aid in good board formation and in good drying. Stucco analysis involves material characterisation primarily in terms of free and combined water, stucco constituents, reactivity, water demand and particle size analysis. Accelerator potency can be gauged by thermal set analysis. Good formation is controlled by slurry fluidity (measured by slump), slurry density, slurry set analysis and by controlling board dimensions. Measurement of cup weight (weighing a cupful of slurry) allows a fairly accurate gauge of board weight. Dimensions required are width, profile, edges, taper and weight, which are measured today with high frequency and accuracy. Good drying involves operating the dryer at the correct temperature, with a balanced dryer moisture profile.

Dany De Kock of Johns Manville started the third session at the conference, on ‘adding value to gypsum products,’ by speaking on the optimisation of the distribution of glass fibres in boards. Fibres are added to boards to improve core cohesion and strength under fire testing. Dany pointed out that unless fibres are properly distributed, they will not be able to impart strength properly to the board, so dispersion is a critical property and homogeneous distribution of glass fibres is ideal. Dany described a new testing method which forms a sheet of fibres, which can be measured more easily than the fibres in a beaker test. It is most important that bundles of fibres are separated quickly in the mixer, so that the absence of bundles and presence of single fibres is a key metric.

Eleanora Chernyshova of Lanxess Deutschland GmbH next spoke on how urbanisation is affecting the biocide industry. Whenever moisture and any kind of food source is present, mould can grow. Insulation and hermetic sealing of dwellings can be a source of moisture and are problematic for wallboard, which can be prone to mould growth. Biocides are now commonly used to prevent, destroy or control various types of harmful or unwanted organisms, including the growth of mould. However, products now not only need excellent efficacy, with broad spectrum application at good cost/performance ratio, but must also meet ‘green label’ expectations of environmental performance.

Anna Marie Dijk-van Delden of Avebe next spoke on enhancing the performance of gypsum-based dry mortars with starch rheology modifiers. Starch ethers can aid in thickening, can extend working time and add anti-sag properties, improve workability and improve the adhesiveness of the mortar to the substrate. The performance of the starch depends on the pH of the formulation, so that the thickener must be carefully tailored to the process parameters. The starches may also have a role in thickening and stiffening foamed gypsum for lightweight board core.

Liyu Yang of Jiangsu Efful Science and Technology Co., Ltd. spoke about the key technology for preparation of an alpha hemihydrate gypsum from phosphogypsum. Large amounts of phosphogypsum are produced in the creation of phosphate-based fertilisers and large amounts, into the tens of billions of tonnes, are currently stored in piles around the world. Three technologies currently exist for the production of alpha hemihydrate gypsum from phosphogypsum: the autoclave process, the hydrothermal process and the normal pressure salt process, but each has its own disadvantages, including high energy costs, low product strength and large amounts of waste water. Liyu Yang presented an improved autoclave process involving pretreatment and the use of citric acid crystal modifiers, with a washing step that can be used to improve product performance.

Kent Ward of Gypsum Consulting Services Inc., speaking for Sicit Group, next spoke about the use of retarders for the optimisation of the production of wallboard. Retarders are used for a number of purposes, including to delay setting to help keep the mixer and hoses clean of set gypsum, to help improve board formation and wet bonding of paper liner, and to provide a means to control setting characteristics on the board forming line. Accelerators and starters are added to the slurry to initiate and to accelerate setting: a retarder can be used to precisely control the final setting point of the slurry. One of the main points of using a retarder is to reduce the water requirement of the slurry.

Victor Zerr of Gebr. Pfeiffer next spoke about the possibility of grinding and calcining 100% FGD gypsum and recycled plasterboard gypsum in the MPS GC vertical mill. He gave details of several projects currently underway around the world, including one in North America that can deal with natural gypsum rock from 75-95% while also grinding recycled material in a range of 5-25%.

Sebastian Gurgul of UCL presented the final paper at the event, which was a kinetic and mechanistic study into the transformation of calcium sulphate hemihydrate to dihydrate, using a variety of techniques including XRD, FTIR and the use of the Diamond Synchrotron near Oxford. He suggested that the transformation is a one-step dissolution-reprecipitation process, that conversion never reaches 100% even if enough water is provided and that nucleation is the rate-limiting step.

Conference prizes and farewells

At the conference Farewell Party, in Bentley’s Pub, a number of prizes were awarded, based on delegates votes on the conference questionnaires. Dany De Kock of Johns Manville was awarded third prize in the best presentations for his paper on fibre dispersion, while in second place was Anna Marie Dijk-van Delden of Avebe for her paper on starch in wallboard. In first place was Mark Flumiani of Gyptech for his paper on a ‘wish list’ for wallboard production.

Delegates rated the conference highly for networking and content. In fact, this was the most highly-rated Global Gypsum conference ever overall. The announcement of the next conference destination as Estoril, near Lisbon, Portugal, was widely approved and it looks likely to set new records for the Global Gypsum Conference and Exhibition on its 20th anniversary in 2020.

Delegate comments on Global Gypsum Conference 2019

• Everything was very good
• Very well organised overall and a great opportunity to network in a specific market
•  Good balance, excellent organisation!
• Thank you for everything and supportive team!
• Well organised! First time participating but really felt very welcome by the organisation.
• Thank you for the effort on the organisation of the event.
• The Gala Dinner this year was fabulous.
• Great job guys!
• Keep up the good works!!
• Very good balance this year!
• See you in Lisbon.