Gypsum industry news

Oman: Zawawi Minerals has published a report in which it forecasts 11% year-on-year growth in gypsum exports, to 10.0Mt in 2020 from 9.00Mt in 2019. The report notes that Oman’s consistent supply of gypsum makes it the most important supplier to the Asian and South/East African regions. It contrasts the fitness of the Omani gypsum sector for exports with that of Pakistan, where bilateral trade with neighbouring India has been suspended since 7 August 2019.

Algeria/India: France-based plaster production unit designer, manufacturer and installer Alphaplatre has announced its successful delivery of two AP400 vertical kilns to gypsum wallboard plants in Algeria and India. It says that each kiln has a capacity of 400t/day of gypsum.

US: GMS has reported a net profit over the three months to 31 January 2020, the third quarter of its 2020 fiscal year, of US$10.9m, up by 87% from US$5.83m in the corresponding quarter of its 2019 fiscal year. Its net sales over the period rose by 5.2% year-on-year to US$761m from US$724m. The company’s gypsum wallboard sales reached US$314m, up by 5.7% from US$297m in the third quarter of the 2019 fiscal year.

US: National Gypsum Company has published SoundBook 2.0, an updated version of its manual for technical information and architectural drawings of sound-rated assemblies for architects and contractors seeking to achieve required sound transmission class (STC) ratings on their projects. The publication includes details and drawings of 310 sound-rated assemblies for steel and wood stud construction, as well as for floor-ceiling applications. The book also features acoustical terms, concepts and proper installation methods for optimal sound control. The original SoundBook was published in 2015.

“Acoustical performance is one of the most popular topics covered by our Construction Services Team,” said John Bianchi, gypsum product manager for National Gypsum. National Gypsum’s goal in publishing SoundBook 2.0 is to provide architects, contractors and others involved in specifying products current information and illustrations on sound-rated wall, ceiling and floor assemblies.

National Gypsum has released several new acoustical gypsum products as part of the company’s SoundBreak XP family of products since the initial rollout of its SoundBreak XP Wall Board, including SoundBreak XP Retrofit Board, designed for use as an extra noise reducing layer over existing wallboard, and its most recent innovation, SoundBreak XP Ceiling Board, a board for floor-ceiling applications.

France: Saint-Gobain has launched a game for smartphones and tablets called Saint-Gobain Brain to raise the company’s brand for recruitment. The game combines an exploration of Saint-Gobain’s business environments with the world of online gaming. It is initially available in French and English and will be translated and rolled out in the group's various countries in the course of 2020. The company also using the game to raise money for local charities through in-game donations.