Menu

A Stronger, Lighter Wallboard for the Construction Industry

The construction industry wanted to significantly reduce the weight while maintaining the ASTM strength of the gypsum wallboard (also known as plasterboard, drywall, sheetrock and gyprock), sold in 4’ x 8’ sheets, and used the world over as a primary building material in all types of construction.


By reducing the weight of wallboard, production, shipping and handling costs drop dramatically for this essential material used in construction worldwide. With new technology not yet developed, the key challenges were to reduce the amount of water and the amount of gypsum in the wallboard. These reductions would reduce the drying time and the weight. Teaming up with wallboard producers, GEO scientists increased its nail strength and surpassed the ASTM standard for the nail pull test, and thus, reduced the weight of the wallboard product. This new, lighter wallboard is easier to install and less costly to ship, dropping from 1,600 lbs. to 1,200 lbs. per MSF.  The chemical solution? It started with packing more controlled air into the board by adding GEO foaming agent that is sold today in quantities from 2,200 lb. totes to tank wagons. Manufactured in two locations – the United States and Europe – GEO Specialty & Construction Division’s Hyonic© Soap Series Technology meets ASTM standards for this critically essential foaming agent that has reduced wallboard weight by up to 25%. With nearly 70% more drywall forecast for use in the United States and China between 2011 and 2016, demand for the product remains high: a projected overall 8.6% rise globally through 2016. It is anticipated that Western Europe will have a significant rebound in demand as well as robust growth in industrializing countries such as India, Mexico and Turkey. Solutions. That is our specialty.


Additional Resources/Reading:

Freedonia World Drywall & Building Plaster Industry Study with Forecasts for 2016 and 2021

Contact Information


John Rizol
Global Sales Manager
GEO Specialty Chemicals, Inc.
Specialty & Construction Division
340 Mathers Road
Ambler, PA 19002
P: 704-906-0794
Email: john.rizol@geosc.com