Useful Knowledge that you should know about artificial stone.
As we all know, artificial stone is widely used in many industries, especially in home decoration, commercial decoration. reception desk countertop , wall decoration, etc. It has a smooth exterior and hard surface that make it a superstar in every aspect.
What is artificial stone?
Artificial stone (scientific name is mineral-filled polymer composite), the standard term is “solid surface material” (jc908:2002).
It is a kind of composite material with unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) or methyl methacrylate (MMA; commonly known as acrylic) as the matrix, natural ore powder (aluminum hydroxide) as the filler, pigment and other auxiliary agents added, and vacuum casting or vacuum molding.
The main feature of the material is that it has no holes and is homogeneous. It can be made into a continuous worktop that is difficult to detect the joints. It can also be maintained and renovated to make the worktop products as they are. It is a new type of green environmental protection interior decoration material that has no radioactive pollution and can be reused.
Artificial stone character
Artificial stone has strong water-proof, non-toxic, fire-proof, acid-base proof, corrosion-resistant, wear-resistant, and is the current mainstream product used in the kitchen countertop.
Due to its hardness between natural stone and hardwood, it is easy to process, and its surface is easy to repair due to accidental damage. It not only overcomes the shortcomings of marble, such as difficult processing, stitching, hard ice and so on but also overcomes the shortcomings of wood materials, such as non-waterproof, non-fireproof, easy corrosion and so on.
But the disadvantage is that there is a certain fracture rate, Chinese and foreign brands are no exception, the processing dust is large, there is dust pollution to the environment.
What are the varieties of artificial stone?
There are three kinds of artificial stone: resin board, acrylic board, and composite acrylic board.
- Resin board: UPR is a polymer material, which is usually filled with “unsaturated polyester resin” (UPR) + aluminum hydroxide (ore powder). The composite material, commonly known as artificial stone resin board, is made by vacuum casting or vacuum molding.
- Acrylic board: MMA acrylic artificial stone was first developed by the DuPont company of the United States. It is cast with “methyl methacrylate” (MMA) as the matrix (commonly known as acrylic, plexiglass) and aluminum hydroxide (ATH) as the filler, commonly known as the acrylic plate. The acrylic board does not contain any other resin.
- The main feature is that the aging process is slow, the original quality can be maintained after many years of use, bright, unchanged yellow, not easy to crack, heat-resistant, collision-resistant, and strong plasticity. Acrylic plate is not only an environmental and sanitary material but also can be used to make dentures, without any impact on the human body.
- Composite acrylic: (UPR + MMA) is a kind of practical artificial stone between resin board and acrylic board, which is filled with a mixture of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) and aluminum hydroxide.
It not only has the toughness and delicacy of MMA but also has high strength. Moreover, the price is moderate, which is favored by middle and high-level consumers.
How to identify the quality of artificial stone?
● look at the appearance:
first, see whether the color of the particles on the surface is uniform. If there are particles on the surface, see whether the particles on the next layer can be seen faintly. The clearer the particles are, the better. Second, look at the side: whether there are bubbles on the side of the Kanban, if so, it indicates that the quality ratio is low, and good boards should be bubble-free.
The so-called solid surface material refers to the solid material without any microbubbles in the product. Which is high-density on the surface and inside, and has excellent physical and chemical properties. If the purpose of eliminating the internal bubbles in the product cannot be achieved in production, this product cannot be called solid surface material, and the quality is naturally impossible. Finally, look at the back.
● Check from the cutting pieces:
the small pieces (within 2mm) cut by workers during field installation, to see if they are elastic, the better the elasticity and toughness, the better the quality and the higher the price.
● learn the anti-counterfeiting on the back:
the anti-counterfeiting on the back of the big brand artificial stone is printed with ink-jet code, and the general low-cost board is covered with a seal, some of which even have no words.
Finally, I would like to remind you: in the process of buying a brand artificial stone, do not buy the pasted one. In addition, during the installation, take a piece of surplus small material and send it directly to the manufacturer for verification to prevent JS from shoddy.
4 tips to help you identify the artificial stone quality.
Appearance
In bright light, carefully look at the appearance at an angle of 45 degrees, the particles of high-quality products are uniform, without pores, while the particles of low-quality products are uneven, with pores;
Color and luster
Under sufficient light environment, with the naked eye, the high-quality products are crystal clear, pure and delicate, and the low-quality products are mixed with calcium carbonate (some contain heavy metals), resulting in gray, not delicate, poor brightness, and astringent touch.
Acid and corrosion resistance
Observe the change 24 hours after dropping vinegar on the table. High-quality products are not corroded by daily chemicals and vinegar, while low-quality products are not.
Dirt resistance
Check whether the table can wash away the stains of lipstick, ketchup and soy sauce. High-quality products are easy to remove, while low-quality products are easy to penetrate and hard to remove.
In Unique Kiosk, we use a lot of artificial stone in the mall retail kiosk counter, reception counter, and retail desk. We have a large number of colors and styles to choose, welcome to contact us if you need any high-level work to finish.
