Smaller objects are often made of solid plaster. Air bubbles that may have formed as the plaster was sloshed inside the mould can also weaken the structure. Some parts of these hollow objects (particularly wide, flat areas) can be very thin and quite fragile. This produces an object with an interior cavity and walls of variable thickness, depending upon how well the plaster was distributed. Some plaster objects are created by pouring liquid plaster into a mould which is then upended and rotated to allow the plaster to coat the entire inner surface. For example, if the plaster is to be used for house decorating, fibrous material is added to act as a binding medium and prevent the plaster from cracking when drilled. Other substances are sometimes added to plaster to provide strength, colour, and ease of working. The amount of water added to plaster of Paris during mixing is critical: too little results in a powdery material with lower than expected cohesion and a tendency to crumble and crack, and too much produces a porous material that is weak and fragile. During this process the plaster of Paris crystallizes and hardens, releases heat, and increases in volume slightly When water is added to the kiln-dried gypsum powder, it is readily absorbed and becomes incorporated back into the crystal structure. This drives off most of the water of crystallization (2H 2O) associated with the calcium sulphate molecule, and leaves the gypsum very reactive. Plaster of Paris is prepared by drying gypsum (CaSO 4 Characteristics of Plaster Objects Composition As plaster sculptures can be cleaned, carved, and treated to look like stone, bronze, and other more costly materials, and plaster casts can be finished to look like china or earthenware, it is not surprising that plaster of Paris is often encountered in museum objects as a substitute for stone or ceramic. moulds, statuary, casts, etc.) for many centuries. It has been used in a wide variety of decorative applications (e.g. Plaster of Paris is a mixture of powdered calcium sulphate (commonly known as gypsum) and water that hardens quickly. Exercise caution, and seek qualified assistance if in doubt. This Note discusses actions that will physically affect the object, and/or procedures that involve the use of chemicals. ( PDF Version, 139 KB) CCI Note 12/2 is part of CCI Notes Series 12 (Stone and Plaster) Caution:
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