What is anhydrite used for?

What is anhydrite used for?

Small amounts of anhydrite are used as drying agents in plaster, paint, and varnish. It is also used along with gypsum to produce plaster, joint compound, wallboard, and other products for the construction industry. Anhydrite has also been used as a source of sulfur in the production of sulfuric acid.

How do you identify Gypsum?

Description and Identifying Characteristics Gypsum is a very soft mineral that is easily identified by its hardness, cleavage, and solubility in water. Typically clear to white, gypsum may be colored reddish to brown or yellow if impurities are present.

What type of rock is anhydrite?

Anhydrite is a relatively common sedimentary mineral that forms massive rock layers. Anhydrite does not form directly, but is the result of the dewatering of the rock forming mineral Gypsum (CaSO4-2H2O).

What does anhydrite look like?

The Mohs hardness is 3.5, and the specific gravity is 2.9. The color is white, sometimes greyish, bluish, or purple. On the best developed of the three cleavages, the lustre is pearly; on other surfaces it is glassy. When exposed to water, anhydrite readily transforms to the more commonly occurring gypsum, (CaSO.