plaster

     

Plaster of Paris, or simply plaster, is a type of builing material based on calcium sulfate hemihydrate, nominally CaSO4·0.5H2O. It is created by heating gypsum to about 150 °C.

Trivia about plaster

  • Basic material used to make casts
  • "Pargeter" is an old term for a worker who applies this stuff to walls & ceilings; he doesn't have to be from Paris
  • From the Greek for "daubed on", it provides a smooth surface for wall coverings like frescoes
  • Many of George Segal's lifelike sculptures, such as "Hot Dog Stand", are made from this of Paris
  • Dorothy Draper wass known for her moldings in this surface material 2 of whose basic materials are lime and water