I. Artificial stone
Artificial stone is unsaturated polyester resin as the binder, with natural marble or calcite, dolomite, silica sand, glass powder, and other inorganic powder, as well as the appropriate amount of flame retardant, color, etc., by the ingredients mixed, porcelain casting, vibration compression, extrusion and other methods of molding curing made. Compared with natural stone, artificial stone has the advantages of brilliant color, high gloss, uniform colour, compression and abrasion resistance, good toughness, dense structure, durability, light specific gravity, non-absorbent, resistance to erosion and weathering, small color difference, non-fading, low radioactivity, etc. It has the advantage of comprehensive use of resources, and has a non-underestimated role in environmental protection and energy saving, and is also a veritable green building material product. It has become the preferred finishing material for modern buildings.
Second, the type of artificial stone
1、According to the materials used in the production
Artificial marble is mainly divided into cement-type artificial marble, resin-type artificial marble, composite artificial marble, sintered artificial marble.
These four methods of making artificial marble, the most commonly used is polyester type artificial marble, its physical and chemical function is the best, easy to design patterns, reproducibility, suitable for a variety of uses, but the price is absolutely high; cement type artificial marble price is the cheapest, but the corrosion resistance is poor, easy to show micro crack, suitable for plate and not for sanitary ware; composite is a combination of the strengths of the first two, both Good physical and chemical properties, the cost is also lower; sintered artificial marble, although only with clay for adhesive, but need to be roasted at high temperature, so energy consumption, high cost, and the product breakage rate is high.
① resin type artificial stone resin type is unsaturated polyester resin as a binder, and natural marble, quartz sand, calcite, stone powder or other inorganic filler according to a certain ratio, and then add catalyst, curing agent, pigments, and other additives
The product is made by mixing, curing, drying, polishing, and other processes. Unsaturated polyester products with good gloss, bright and rich colors, strong processability, good decorative effect; this resin have low viscosity, easy to shape, room temperature can be cured. Forming methods are vibration forming, compression forming, and extrusion forming. The artificial stone used in interior decoration projects is mainly of the resin type.
② composite artificial stone using the binder, both inorganic materials, but also organic polymer materials. The production process is as follows: first, a cement mortar blank is made of cement and stone powder, then the blank is dipped in organic monomers, which are polymerized under certain conditions. For the panels, the base layer is made of stable and inexpensive inorganic materials, and the top layer is made of polyester and marble powder. Inorganic cementing materials are available as fast hard cement, white cement, ordinary silicate cement, aluminate cement, fly ash cement, slag cement, and cooked gypsum. Organic monomers are available such as styrene, methacrylate, vinyl acetate, acrylic, butadiene, etc. These monomers can be used individually or in combination. Composite artificial stone products are less expensive, but it is affected by the temperature difference after the polyester surface is easy to produce peeling or cracking.
Cement type artificial stone is a variety of cement as a binding material, sand, natural gravel particles for coarse and fine aggregate, by the preparation, mixing, pressurized steam, grinding and polishing made of artificial stone. During the preparation process, colors are mixed to make colored cement stones. The production of cement-type stone is convenient and inexpensive, but its decorative properties are poor. Terrazzo and all kinds of flower step tiles belong to this category.
④ Sintered artificial stone production method
Artificial stone and ceramic process are similar to feldspar, quartz, pyroxene, calcite and other powder and hematite powder, as well as a certain amount of high-grade clay mixed together, the general ratio of stone powder 60%, clay 40%, the use of the mixed slurry method of preparing the blank, with the semi-dry pressing method of forming, and then roasted in the kiln at a high temperature of about 1000 ℃. Sintered artificial stone decorative good, stable performance, but need to be roasted at high temperatures, thus energy consumption, high cost. As unsaturated polyester resin has a small viscosity, easy to shape; glossy; light color, easy to formulate into a variety of bright colors and patterns; curing fast, room temperature operation, etc., so in the above stone, currently the most widely used, is an unsaturated polyester resin for the cementing agent and the production of resin-type artificial stone, its physical and chemical properties are a stable, wide range of applications, also known as a polyester synthetic stone.
2, according to the use of the name classification for.
① acrylic stone: a chemical resin synthetic material, clean, mostly used for kitchen countertops, easy to shape, waterproof, no color difference, but easy to scratch.
② synthetic stone: take marble powder and resin processing, firm texture.
③ microcrystalline stone: the main components are similar to glass products, the name is clean, magnificent color, hard texture, mainly used for paving the ground, but because of the hard texture is not easy to reprocess, and the price is higher.
Terrazzo: but poor corrosion resistance, easy to emerge micro-cracking, suitable for the plate and not for sanitary ware
3、Classification by nature.
(1)Classification by solvent type
Artificial stone water-based protective agent
A water-based protective agent: a completely water-based protective agent for diluent called a water-based protective agent. This protective agent generally has less odor, low toxicity, is non-combustible, high safety performance. For example: "Green Angel" HB-S101, 103, 103A, etc.
B, solvent-based protective agent: other than water as a diluent for the solvent-based protective agent called a solvent-based protective agent. It can also be divided into water-soluble solvent-based protective agents and oil-soluble solvent-based protective agents. For example: "Green Angel" HB-S301, 302, 401, etc. Water-soluble solvents are solvents that are completely soluble with water. Such as alcohols; oil-soluble solvents are solvents that are soluble with oily substances but not with water. Such as benzene, ketones, esters, etc. Protective agents with water-soluble solvents as diluents are called water-soluble solvent-based protective agents; protective agents with oil-soluble solvents as diluents are called oil-soluble solvent-based protective agents. Solvent-based protective agents generally have a strong odor, relatively large toxicity, are flammable, and generally have <1 density.
C, emulsion-type protective agent: the use of oil-soluble solute and water as a diluent, add emulsifier emulsification after high-speed mixing. Its color is milky white, small odor, non-flammable, relatively small toxicity.
(2)Classification according to dissolution performance
A. Oil-based protective agents: protective agents that can be dissolved by oil-soluble solvents are called oil-based protective agents. Such as an oil-soluble solvent protective agent. This type of protective agent is generally strong penetration, but relatively toxic, flammable, with a strong smell. They are suitable for the frontal and dense surfaces of stone. For example: "Green Angel" HB-S301, 401, 502, etc.
B, water-based protective agent: can be dissolved in water stone maintenance agent called a water-based stone protective agent. Such as water-based protective agent, water-soluble solvent-based protective agents, emulsion-type protective agents. This type of protective agent-general permeability is relatively weak (except water-soluble solvent-type protective agent), but toxicity and smell are relatively small, non-combustible. Suitable for the protection of loose stone surface treatment. For example: "Green Angel" HB-S101, 103, 107, etc.
(3)Classification by solute composition
A, acrylic protective agent: acrylic resin as the main active ingredient (solute) of the protective agent called an acrylic stone protective agent. Sealing performance, applied to the stone surface will form a film, plastic light, but the aging resistance is not enough after the application will deepen the stone color. It is suitable for rough stone surfaces or stone substrates that need to be sealed (subject to testing of interface damage). Example: "Green Angel" HB-S601, etc. The second generation of protection products. (The first generation is wax)
In addition, there is also epoxy resin or other resin as the main material of the protective agent, its performance and characteristics are generally similar, here will not repeat.
Second, the characteristics of artificial stone
(1) Rich in color, there are all kinds of colors. There are pure colors, such as white, yellow, black, red, etc. There is also hemp color, on the basis of the net color plate, add different colors, different sizes of particles, to create a colorful variety of color effects. There is a wide variety and a particularly large choice.
(2) No radioactive contamination. The materials used in artificial stone are strictly screened to be free of radioactive substances, so consumers can use them with confidence.
(3) Moderate hardness and toughness. Natural stone hardness, brittleness, not resistance to impact, easy to break, impact resistance is better than natural stone.
(4) Processing and production are convenient. The hardness and toughness of artificial stone have been adjusted to a certain range. Can be processed like hardwood, where woodworking tools and machinery, and equipment can be used for the production of artificial stone processing, bonding (the use of special glue, a variety of countertops can be connected "seamless"), can be bent, can be processed into a variety of shapes, which is incomparable to natural stone.
(5) dense structure, clean and hygienic, natural stone has a natural microporous, in doing the countertop of the cabinet, vegetable soup and other nutrients easy to penetrate into it, breeding bacteria; and man-made stone structure dense, no microporous, liquid substances can not penetrate, bacteria can not grow in it, so some businesses to man-made stone fried as "antibacterial stone" also has its Reasoning.
