Burnt gypsum

Description

An archaic common name for Plaster of Paris. Plaster is prepared by burning gypsum to drive off the water of crystallization, thereby producing hemihydrate calcium sulfate.

Synonyms and Related Terms

plaster of Paris; calcined gypsum; brime; plâtre (Fr.); yeso calcinado (Esp.); gebrannter Gips (Deut.)

Resources and Citations

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• Susan E. Schur, Conservation Terminology: A review of Past & Current Nomenclature of Materials, Technology and Conservation, Spring (p.34-39); Summer (p.35-38); Fall (p.25-36), 1985

• Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982