Everything new is rethought old. So it can be said about materials intended for home decoration. Agglomerate is an ancient technology for the manufacture of artificial stone, the Colosseum is a good example, where large blocks made of gravel and binders were used.
What is an agglomerate?
In a modern reading, manufacturing technologies have not fundamentally changed, but the components of the material have become more diverse, especially taking into account the achievements of the chemical industry. Today, artificial stone agglomerate surpasses natural material in its qualities and properties. Composite finishes are made of stone chips of various origins (quartz, granite, marble, onyx, etc.), binders based on artificial resins and coloring natural / artificial pigments.
Adding pigments allows you to get a stone of an uncharacteristic shade, for example, bright green or orange marble, which gives scope to designer finds in a combination of colors and textures. Modern technologies make it possible to obtain an artificial sinter with a 3D effect, a multi-colored pattern or interspersed with colored glass, natural shells, mother of pearl and with other decor. The main part of the agglomerate is natural stone, it occupies 80-96% of the total mass of the material.
Manufacturing technology
The technological process of sinter production takes place in three main stages:
- The ingredients are mixed and compacted using a vacuum press, while the material gets its original shape, air is "squeezed" out of the semi-finished product.
- At the next stage, the compacted mass is placed in a vibrating press, where the material gets a denser structure connected in a monolith. At this stage, residual air, voids, cracks are removed.
- The final stage is firing and the last phase of compaction. The resulting block has the name "slab", which is subsequently subjected to sawing and processing according to the technologies applied to natural stone.
Artificial agglomerate traditionally has the following types of facial processing: grinding, polishing, beading, semi-polished surface.
Advantages and disadvantages
Each decoration material finds application and fans. Quartz agglomerate is one of the favorites of designers and builders. Quartz belongs to very strong materials, it is ahead of only diamond, has a wide distribution and availability. Regarding natural stone, it has a lower cost, greater affordability and a variety of colors. The most actively agglomerated quartz is used in the decoration of the kitchen.
Countertops made of quartz agglomerate have the following advantages:
- High resistance to temperature fluctuations, fire and moisture resistance.
- Not afraid of the effects of chemical, domestic and aggressive environments. Can be used in laboratories.
- Due to the lack of moisture in the composition of the material, it does not absorb odors, pollution does not fall into the array of countertops.
- Quartz agglomerate is an abrasion resistant material. Its initial aesthetic qualities will not change during many years of operation.
- Demonstrates moderate impact resistance, bending resistance. This characteristic helps to avoid cracks, chips during operation, transportation and installation.
- Countertops made of quartz agglomerate are hygienic and easy to clean. It does not require the purchase of special detergents, cleaning and polishing agents, it is enough traditional care.
The disadvantages include:
- Countertops made of sinter more than three meters in length will be composite, which means the presence of seams is inevitable. The impression made will depend on how they are polished, most often the seams are invisible.
- If a chip or other type of destruction occurs, then the surface cannot be restored discreetly.
- There is an unshakable rule of transportation - they transport a countertop of agglomerated stone only in an upright position.
- Like most natural stones, agglomerate is a cold material. In the winter cold, he will not please the hosts with warmth. But this property is very useful in the summer. Well, in winter it is simply taken for granted.
Types of Agglomerate
Depending on the raw material incorporated in the dry mixture, the types of agglomerates differ in qualities and characteristics. In accordance with what they have various fields of application. Agglomramor is very similar to natural stone. When using natural pigments, the color can change, be several shades in the same color scheme, or have streaks of contrasting color. This type of artificial stone is unstable to acids and aggressive environments.
To give additional characteristics of resistance, the surface of the obtained marble slab is treated with a composition of a mixture of resins and quartz sand. The resulting resin film protects the agglomerate from the most severe damage. Treated slabs are used for cladding floors, walls, make countertops, trays in showers, etc.
No less interesting are agglomerates created on the basis of glass chips, crushed onyx, malachite and other natural minerals and stones. The resulting textures and color palette are able to give the room an individuality and charm. An interesting option for the manufacture of agglomerate was a mosaic. You can venerate it with curved surfaces, it is made in a wide range of colors, it opens up great opportunities in decoration.
Wood based sinter
Cork agglomerate is one of the most popular materials for heat and sound insulation in rooms. It is also used as a substrate on the base of the floor covering. Important advantages of the agglomerated cork are such qualities as fire resistance, the absence of decay, fungal spores do not linger on its surface, it is waterproof and does not lose shape during operation.
A cork agglomerate is made from waste generated during the removal of bark from a cork tree. They are crushed, combined with resins, pressed and a sheet material of a given thickness is obtained. Recently, cork wallpapers, cladding panels designed for wall decoration have gained popularity. A cork agglomerate board also finds use.
Material differences
Agglomerate is a synthetically created stone. But based on natural fillers. Synthesized stone surpasses previously obtained finishing materials in many respects. Agglomerate differs from porcelain stoneware in the broader capabilities laid down in the manufacturing process. Porcelain stoneware is rarely painted in bulk because of the high cost of natural metal oxides and the high cost of milling.
In most cases, ceramic granite is coated with resistant glaze, which over time loses its quality and flies around. Aglocamen gets color during the manufacturing process of raw materials and its costs are low. Even if abrasion occurs, the alomerized stone is easily polished several times and the surface retains a given color palette.
Agglomerate analogue differs from a natural fossil stone in a number of advantages:
- The increased durability.
- Ease of processing and cutting of the most intricate forms without the threat of split and loss.
- Resistant to most aggressive environments and biological agents.
Scope of application
Agglomerate is a finishing material, its scope is the interior space of the premises and the outer cladding of buildings. As a floor covering, it is used only in small areas, not more than 16 square meters, and a distance of at least 5 mm must be left between the tiles. Walking on this floor is recommended in a day.
Agglomerate quartz stone is often used for cladding internal surfaces in the bathroom, in the kitchen, hallway. When wall mounting, the technological gap between the tiles is 10 mm. Due to the fact that the agglomerate contains resins, it expands at an elevated temperature, so the distance between the facing modules is made greater than with ceramic tiles.
For exterior decoration, it is more advisable to use an artificial stone of dark shades, since over time the resin may turn yellow under the action of sunlight, often the process is heterogeneous.
Artificial stone has been widely used in interior decoration and the manufacture of interior items. Countertops for the kitchen are made everywhere, while the buyer will be offered a dozen types of edges that will go along the entire perimeter of the kitchen or a separate table. The agglomerate made of glass chips has a translucency and can serve as a separator of the room space or become a panel for installations.
Care Features
The artificial stone has a long service life, subject to the rules of care, it will last several generations. Some recommendations:
- Avoid direct sunlight, this will help maintain the original color of the product.
- When leaving, do not use products with bleaching and abrasive agents.
- Hot items removed from the pan, pans must be placed on a stand. The resins that make up the agglomerate can melt, and the countertop is deformed. This rule does not apply to quartz agglomerates.
- Remove complex contaminants (paint, varnish, dried product residues) from the surface using a scraper.
Reviews
Users of countertops made of artificial stone give advantages to the appearance of the product, good performance. In particular, it is noted that it is easy to care for, resistant to the chemical environment, and durable. A big plus for many was the ability to make a countertop of a given size and shape. Consumers also noted the large color gamut of the proposed material.
A lot of negative reviews are written about the cost of the final product, but most buyers say that they do not regret their choice. Minor complaints cause a risk of chipping during sharp bumps or falls on the countertop of metal or heavy objects. Nobody notices the negative qualities of the material, but there are critical reviews about the work of those companies that provide tabletop mounting services. Complaints were received that the junction of the panels of stone and the curly edge is noticeable, the horizon level is not maintained, or a difference is found in the height of the mating surfaces of the agglomerate countertop.
The overwhelming majority of consumers recommend decorating their home with products from alomerate stone.