Plaster of Paris, or simply plaster, is a type of building material based on calcium sulfate hemihydrate, nominally CaSO4·0.5H2O. It is created by heating gypsum to about 150 °C. » 2 CaSO4·4H2O → 2 CaSO4·H2O + 3 H2O (released as steam). A large gypsum deposit at Montmartre in Paris is the source of the name. When the dry plaster powder is mixed with water, it re-forms into gypsum. Plaster is used as a building material similar to mortar or cement. Like those m… (More on Plaster)