Investigations of surface forces between gypsum microcrystals in air using atomic force microscopy

This article introduces a new approach to the study of the interactions between gypsum faces in air. We have mounted a gypsum crystal on the end of a microcantilever to measure local forces (van der Waals, capillary forces, electrostatic) directly between two crystals. A systematic study with respect to the orientation of crystalline faces, relative humidity, and the duration of contact between crystals improves the understanding of the mechanism involved in the hardening of plaster in air. In dry air, a physicochemical process of matter transfer is added to the van der Waals forces to ensure the cohesion. Others force measurements were performed by varying the shape of the contact (interaction between the various gypsum faces and a standard silicon tip used in atomic force microscopy). Comparison between capillary forces permits discussion of the conditions of wetting of each gypsum face in wet atmosphere.