Calcium sulfate dihydrate is a mouthful. It is all around us, and is an invaluable material to the construction industry. It is made into plastic form, then extruded between thick sheets of various materials and allowed to harden. The basic process was invented in 1888 in the United Kingdom.
In 1910, the United States adopted and refined the process using calcium sulfate dihydrate. Innovations using this miracle mineral came fast and furious over the next few decades. By the 1980s, it seemed all possible innovations utilizing this mineral had been exhausted and we simply took it for granted. Within the last few years, however, innovation with calcium sulfate dihydrate has been more prominent than ever before. What is this miracle mineral? You know it by the name: gypsum.