What are the Uses of Plaster of Paris ?
Plaster of Paris is a white coloured powder. It is made up of gypsum. The plaster gets its name because, its main ingredient gypsum is found abundantly in Paris. The white powder will form a paste when it is mixed with water and it will harden into solid structures when dried. Thus, Plaster of Paris is used to make casts and moulds.
Some of its Uses are as follows –
• Plaster of Paris is a building material that is used as a protective coating on walls and ceilings.
• It is also used as a moulding and casting agent for decorative elements.
• It is used to give aesthetic finishing touches to the buildings.
• In the medical department, plaster is used in orthopaedics to put casts around fractured bones. This stiff casts will help the bone heal and become like earlier.
• It is used to make historical monuments and structures.
• It is also used in the fresco painting. It is used to make replicas as it will not shrink even when it is sunk in water.
• Plaster of Paris is used to make sculptures and metal castings used as decorative in buildings.
• It is also used in buildings to avoid fire hazards as Plaster of Paris is fire resistant.
• It is used as a coating on wood and metal structures to avoid any fire accidents.
• Plaster is used to prepare for radiotherapy during production of individualized immobilization shells for patients.
• It is also used in dentistry to make moulds of the teeth to be replaced.
• Plaster is used by funeral homes to recreate destroyed tissue and reconnect severed limbs to the dead bodies in case of accidents. It is also used to fill wounds during murder or accident.