In 1984 the engineered quartz stone surface (artificial quartz stone) was invented in Italy.
It was originally called “Bretonstone” because the technology was created and owned by the Italian company called Breton S.P. A.
It is composited by a mixture of approximately 93% of natural quartz stone together with 7% polyester resin and other additives, compressed into large size slab forms under vacuum condition.
Breton S.P. A then started building up manufacturing lines throughout the world by authorizing its technology.
Since then, engineered quartz stone has become the new trend in today’s building products.
As of 2007, there were more than 28 quartz stone surface manufacturing plants established in 14 different countries. The global market volume for engineered quartz stone also jumped from tens of thousand US dollars in 1984 to over 3 billion in just 20 years of time. This is an incredible growing speed and it goes even faster as it gains popularity in China’s market.
So what exactly are the advantages of this material? As we know there are quite a few stone choices that can be used for decorating purposes: Natural stone like Granite/Marble; Artificial man-made stones such as engineered marble, artificial granite, crystallized glass panel, and solid surface; and of course the composited quartz stone.
Let us first compare with the natural stones.
Marble/granite have naturally formed artistic veins, with a hardness of 4-6 (Moh’s), fairly high in scratch, heat and impact resistance, as well as low entry level in mining, therefore these are currently the most commonly used decorative stones.
When compared to engineered quartz stone, this material is compressed and formed under vacuum conditions by a mixture of natural quartz stone, polyester resin and other additives such as colour pigments.
The major component (93%) is the crystallized quartz stone which is the third most commonly existing element and third hardest material found in nature after the expensive diamond and sapphire, with Moh’s hardness 7-8 and outstanding physical & chemical properties, all make the engineered product affordable and durable. It is extremely strong in Heat/Scratch/Impact/Stain/Chemicals resistance compared to other stones, and also high in the range of colour options like natural stone.
With all these advantages we can conclude that the engineered quartz stone surface is designed & built to avoid all the limitations of other stone materials in decorative use. It is also a healthy & environmentally friendly product that contains zero radiation unlike natural granite and is low in maintenance after installation at home.
Therefore it is the perfect material to replace natural stone for both residential & commercial decorating projects. E.g. kitchen table, kitchen countertops, vanity tops, backsplash etc.
Please visit www.NovaeStone.com for more information and contents about quartz stone surfaces.
