Signboard, British Gypsum plant. Kirkby Thore, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom, Europe.

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This long established plaster and plasterboard plant has manufactured Thistle plasters continuously since 1910. The production of plasterboard is a comparatively recent development, the first line being installed during the 1960's. Gypsum (hydrated calcium sulphate) has been quarried or mined at Kirkby Thore for over 200 years. The gypsum is ground to a powder and heated to evaporate water. Heating to approximately 160ºC drives off a limited amount of water and Plaster of Paris is produced. The most important use of this type of gypsum is in the production of plaster and plasterboard. Heating to above 200ºC drives off all the water to produce the anhydrite which is used in the production of Portland Cement. More recently synthetic gypsum (desulphogypsum) has been derived as a by-product of the desulphurisation of flue gases at coal-fired power stations (Drax, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, and West Burton).

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Size: 4069px × 2835px
Location: British Gypsum plant. Kirkby Thore, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom, Europe.
Photo credit: © Stan Pritchard / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: british, calcium, desulphogypsum, desulphurisation, environmental, excellence, flue, gases, gypsum, health, hydrated, injuries, plant, plaster, plasterboard, signboard, sulphate, target