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Gypsum composites with different lightweight aggregates were studied. The importance of gypsum as one of the most environmentally friendly building binder increases nowadays and new ways of its utilization are searched. Using of aggregates in the gypsum is generally not necessary, because gypsum does not shrink, but they can be used for economic reasons or to improve the thermal or fire properties of the gypsum material. We studied the structure and properties of the gypsum composites with three types of lightweight fillers (perlite, expanded clay aggregate, recycled PUR) and compared them with the gypsum mortar with siliceous sand. The SEM and porosity analyses were performed together with the mechanical tests. The influence of each type of aggregate on the structure and properties of gypsum composite was studied. It was found, that the type of the aggregate has principal impact on the microstructure of gypsum composites and their mechanical and thermal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]