Gypsum Powder Production Line
Gypsum powder production lines (calcining lines) that turn natural, FGD or phosphogypsum into building plaster (β-hemihydrate, also called stucco or plaster of Paris) — as the calcination section of a gypsum board plant, or as a standalone plaster plant.
Recent Project: Middle East Greenfield Plant
Our gypsum board line for a greenfield investor in the Middle East covered every stage, from raw gypsum calcination to finished, packed boards.
Gypsum Powder Production Process and Equipment
A gypsum powder line removes part of the chemically bound water from gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate, CaSO₄·2H₂O) to make calcium sulfate hemihydrate — the binder in gypsum board, gypsum blocks and gypsum plasters. A complete line has five sections:
| Section | What happens | Main equipment |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Raw gypsum handling | Receiving, storage and feeding of raw gypsum. | Hopper, feeders, conveyors, raw gypsum shed or silo |
| 2. Preparation | Natural gypsum is crushed and ground. FGD gypsum arrives as a fine, moist material and is dried first. | Crusher and mill, or dryer; dust collection |
| 3. Calcination | The gypsum is heated to drive off about three-quarters of its chemically bound water, turning it into β-hemihydrate. | Fluidised-bed calciner or rotary kiln; hot-gas generator, steam or thermal-oil supply; dust collection |
| 4. Cooling and ageing | The hot plaster is cooled and aged so that its properties settle before use. | Cooler, ageing and storage silos |
| 5. End use | The plaster is fed to the board line, or ground and blended with additives and packed as bagged plaster. | Conveying to the board plant, or mill, mixer and bag packing |
The calcination section of our Middle East gypsum board project was a fluidised-bed calciner feeding a 3,000,000 m² a year board line. The same section can be supplied on its own.
Calciner Options: Fluidised Bed or Rotary Kiln
Two calciner types dominate new plants, and each can be heated directly or indirectly:
| Calciner | How it is heated | Suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Fluidised-bed calciner | Hot gas fluidises the gypsum powder for continuous calcination | Large-scale, continuous production |
| Rotary kiln, direct-fired | Hot gas from the burner passes through the kiln | Plants with a direct fuel supply |
| Rotary kiln, indirectly heated | Heated by steam or thermal oil; calcines slowly at a low 150–200 °C | A stable phase composition and uniform plaster — the usual choice for the calcining station beside a gypsum board line |
The right choice depends on your output, the heat source available at your site and the product you need. We compare the options against your brief and your gypsum analysis.
Raw Gypsum: Natural, FGD or Phosphogypsum
Natural gypsum, FGD gypsum from power-plant flue-gas desulfurization, and other by-product gypsum such as phosphogypsum can all be calcined. In China, FGD gypsum is now the main raw material for new lines: it is a power-plant by-product and costs less than quarried gypsum.
- Natural gypsum is quarried, crushed and ground before calcination.
- FGD gypsum is already fine but arrives damp and must be dried. Industry guidance for wallboard-grade FGD gypsum is a CaSO₄·2H₂O content of 92% or more, chloride below about 100 ppm and moisture at or below about 10% before calcining (Power Engineering).
- Phosphogypsum and other by-product gypsum need their impurities checked and the preparation section configured around them.
How much raw gypsum you need
Calcining dihydrate to hemihydrate removes about 15.7% of its weight as water, so one tonne of plaster needs about 1.19 tonnes of pure gypsum — more if your gypsum contains clay, limestone or other impurities. Send a representative sample for analysis before the preparation and calcination sections are finalised.
Sizing a Gypsum Powder Production Line
Size the plant from what it will feed:
- For a gypsum board line, work from board output. Our 3,000,000 m² a year reference board line uses 7.0 kg of plaster per m² of 12 mm board — about 21,000 t of plaster a year, which needs roughly 25,000 t of pure gypsum.
- For bagged plaster or blocks, work from the volume you can sell and the products you will make, and allow for plant availability.
Calcined gypsum needs an ageing period and is best used fresh, so most gypsum board plants run their own calcining station beside the board line. That is why we normally supply the calcination section together with the gypsum board production line.
Product Standards and End Uses
- Feed for gypsum board — the plaster is mixed with water, foam and additives on the board line.
- Building plasters — EN 13279-1 covers gypsum binders and gypsum plasters, including plasters for manual and machine application; ASTM C28/C28M covers gypsum plasters such as mill-mixed, neat, wood-fibered and gauging plaster; China’s GB/T 9776-2022 covers building gypsum made from natural gypsum, FGD gypsum and phosphogypsum.
- Gypsum blocks and other cast products — the plaster is the binder for partition blocks and other cast gypsum products; see our gypsum block production line.
Tell us which products and which standard your plaster must meet: they decide the calciner, the ageing and the grinding and blending after calcination.
What to Send for a Quotation
- Target annual output (t a year), or the board output the plant will feed
- End use: board line feed, bagged plaster, blocks or other products, and the standard they must meet
- Gypsum source (natural, FGD or phosphogypsum), with a recent analysis
- Heat source available: natural gas, steam, thermal oil or other fuel
- Power supply (voltage, frequency, available capacity)
- Site or building dimensions
- Destination country and target timeline
With your output target, destination country and timeline we can start, and you receive a written sourcing report within 48 hours of a complete requirement brief.
Most gypsum powder lines are planned together with a downstream line: a gypsum board production line or a gypsum block production line. See all our building materials production lines.
Planning a new plant? Read our gypsum powder plant setup guide — the manufacturing process, raw gypsum, calciner choice and plaster quality tests.
One Partner from Requirement to Running Line
- Requirement review — capacity targets, site conditions and budget
- Equipment selection and supplier matching — vetted Chinese manufacturers
- Plant layout planning — civil works drawings issued early
- Quality inspection and factory acceptance testing before shipment
- Export documentation and freight coordination
- Installation, commissioning and operator training
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you supply the calcining section with a gypsum board line?
Yes. That is the standard arrangement, and our Middle East gypsum board line included it. For the full planning sequence, see our gypsum board plant setup guide.
Can you supply only the calcining section for an existing board plant?
Yes. The calcination section can be supplied on its own, configured around your gypsum and the plaster demand of your board line.
Can you calcine FGD gypsum or phosphogypsum?
Yes. Natural, FGD and other by-product gypsum can all be calcined; the preparation section is configured around your material. Send us a recent analysis with your enquiry.
Fluidised bed or rotary kiln?
It depends on your output, your heat source and the product you need. Fluidised-bed calciners suit large continuous output; steam-heated rotary kilns give stable, uniform plaster for a board line. We compare the options against your brief.
Why do board plants calcine their own gypsum?
Calcined gypsum needs an ageing period and is best used fresh, so most gypsum board plants run their own calcining station beside the board line.
What is the price of a gypsum powder line?
We do not publish prices, because they depend on output, calciner type, heat source, raw material and destination. Once we have your requirement brief, the written sourcing report compares configurations from different manufacturers.
What do you need to prepare a quotation?
Your target annual output, gypsum source with a recent analysis, end use (board line feed or bagged plaster), available fuel or steam, project location and planned timeline. The full list is above.
Request a Gypsum Powder Line Proposal
Tell us your target output and gypsum source. We respond within one business day.
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