A mineral form of calcium sulfate, specifically a hemihydrate form that occurs naturally and is also produced industrially in plaster manufacturing.
Named after the city of Bassano in Italy, where it was first identified or described. The mineral name follows the standard geological convention of naming minerals after their discovery locations.
Bassanite is the key ingredient in plaster of Paris—despite the name, it's made from gypsum heated in a specific way, and it's been used since ancient Egypt to create casts and sculptures.
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