Suitability of Nafada Gypsum for the Production of Jute Fibre Reinforced Plasterboards

High demand for Plaster of Paris (POP) in the Nigeria building industry, particularly within the north-east geopolitical zone has made local procurement of the raw gypsum inevitable. The study was conducted to evaluate the characteristics of gypsum from Nafada mining site, one of the northeast rich gypsum deposits with an estimated reserve of 751,728.00 metric tons. Sample of gypsum from the site was obtained and its physical and chemical properties were determined. It was calcined into POP in an oven between 115o C (240o F) and 200o C (392oF). The ratio of water: plaster was adopted as 200ml/400g with impact resistance as 7.9mm and flexural strength as 4.72N/mm2. Absorption tests were carried out to ascertain the viability of the mineral in POP production. 0.5% of sisal fiber showed lower rate of 25.4% water absorbency. The result confirmed that Nafada gypsum is suitable for the production of POP for use in plasterboards, with jute fibre as reinforcing material.Key words: Nafada gypsum; Plaster of Paris; Building