Excursion to Knauf Vietnam: Automated Gypsum Manufacturing & Acoustic Engineering

On December 9, 2025, students from the MSI Intake 2024 and Intake 2025 cohorts at the Vietnamese-German University (VGU) conducted an academic field excursion to Knauf Vietnam’s state-of-the-art production facility in Nha Be, Ho Chi Minh City.

As a key part of our Master of Science in Materials Science (MSI) curriculum, the trip provided students with an immersion into the industrial chemistry, thermodynamics, and high-precision automation powering one of the world's premier gypsum wallboard manufacturers.

🏛️ From Chemistry to Construction: Technical Focus

Knauf engineers guided the students through the entire automated manufacturing process, showing the physical chemistry behind modern building elements:

• Porosity & foaming chemistry: How surfactant-based foam stabilizers, fiberglass reinforcements, and chemical additives are blended with calcium sulfate hemihydrate to cast extremely lightweight but highly durable panels.
• Thermodynamics of fire-resistance: Examining the endothermic calcination reaction that makes gypsum fire-resistant. When exposed to fire, the bound crystal water in calcium sulfate dihydrate ($CaSO_4 \cdot 2H_2O$) evaporates, keeping the structural system cool.
• Acoustic Physics: Applying the mass-spring-mass principle to see how modern gypsum multi-layered wall assemblies absorb acoustic energy and dampen noise transmission.

!NOTEIndustrial Immersion Advantage: Seeing a continuous, high-speed automated production line in action highlights how critical precise dosage, water-binder ratios, and high-temperature belt drying are for maintaining German quality standards.

🏗️ Hands-On Autoclaved Construction Practice

Following the plant tour, VGU MSI students engaged in an interactive hands-on workshop led by Knauf technical instructors:

1. Building Metal Stud Frames: Laying out and erecting standard steel wall channels under German drywall guidelines.
2. Board Mounting & Jointing: Applying drywall panels, taping, and mudding joints to master industrial finishing.
3. Quality & Fit Checks: Inspecting the structural robustness, alignments, and joint stability of their completed mock wall assemblies.

This excellent exercise allowed students to immediately connect materials chemistry with civil engineering and real-world construction practices.

We express our sincere thanks to Knauf Vietnam for welcoming our students, and for providing a lunch session to discuss joint thesis projects and R&D pathways!