133:
normally kept for 24–48 hours before polishing and finishing absorbers are also dosed into the chemical mix to inhibit the discoloration as a result of reaction of unsaturated polyester resin with UV light. Engineered quartz stones manufactured by using unsaturated polyester resins are characterized by low water absorption, superior chemical durability, high hardness, flexural strength and good thermal shock resistance compared to granite and marble.
93:
294:
estimated to be more than 100 engineered stone suppliers in China alone. India also has roughly 40 slab producing units as of
December 2012. The original companies that operate Breton machines such as the Italian companies, Quarella, Santa Margherita and the Taiwanese company Romastone remain the most recognizable brands for marble. The private Spanish company Cosentino brand Silestone and the public Israeli company
238:
177:
allow some flexibility, preventing cracking under flexural pressure. But, the binding agents often continue to harden, leading to a loss of flexural strength over time. The polyester resins are not completely UV stable and engineered stone should not be used in outdoor applications. Continuous exposure to UV can cause discoloration of the stone, and breakdown of the resin binder.
124:, Italy, that developed the large-scale Breton method in 1960s, is the dominant supplier of equipment for making engineered stone. Although Breton was the original manufacturer of moulding equipment and still holds multiple international patents on the process, there are now several other companies producing similar machinery.
189:
are more sensitive to both thermal expansion and contraction and to dampness from underlying screeds, necessitating the inclusion of movement joints at a higher frequency than for stone or ceramic floor tiles (see for example
British Standard BS 5385-5: 2011) and verification by testing of the dryness of underlying layers.
328:
surveillance of at risk workers. In
February 2023 Australian trade unions called for banning the importation of engineered stone into Australia. In December of the same year, Australia became the first country to ban engineered stone in response to workers developing silicosis. The ban came into effect on 1 July 2024.
209:
edge in pricing, and more variety in pattern and colors. Engineered marble is typically used as flooring materials for large commercial projects such as hotels, shopping centers, business lobbies, where it combines the attractive appearance of marble with budget-friendly cost and reliable delivery time.
208:
Marble is a relatively soft material which is prone to scratching, but simple to maintain. Typically it can be repeatedly polished until it becomes too thin. Marble is much more common and accessible around the world, and comes in a wider variety, which gives its engineered counterpart a significant
188:
When used as floor tiles, care is required in ensuring compatibility with the adhesive used. Reaction resin adhesives and rapid drying cementitious adhesives are generally successful, but bond failure or discoloration can occur with other cementitious adhesives. Additionally, agglomerate stone tiles
323:
can result from breathing dust produced when cutting or processing engineered stone made with quartz. The risk of inhaling quartz dust can be mitigated by taking appropriate safety precautions. Risk of silicosis is high when little or no safety precautions or protective equipment are used. This
180:
The material is sometimes damaged by direct application of heat. Quartz engineered stone is less heat resistant than other stone surfaces including most granite, marble and limestone; but is not affected by temperatures lower than 150 °C (300 °F). Quartz engineered stone can be damaged by
172:
The material can be produced in either 12 mm, 20 mm or 30 mm thicknesses. The most common slab format is 3040 mm x 1440 mm for Quartz and 3050 mm x 1240 mm for Breton-based marbles, but other sizes like 3040 mm x 1650 mm are produced according to market
293:
was the most dominant country in the supply of engineered stone products from the 1980s until the early 2000s, especially in engineered marble. The growth of the
Chinese economy has changed the market drastically as China now has the most producers and largest overall quantity produced. There are
176:
Engineered stone is non porous, more flexible, and harder than many types of natural stone. Since it has a uniform internal structure, it does not have hidden cracks or flaws that may exist in natural stone and also has a color/pattern consistency from slab to slab. Polyester resin binding agents
108:
or agglomerated stone, the last term being that recognised by
European Standards (EN 14618), although to add to the terminological confusion, this standard also includes materials manufactured with a cementitious binder. The quartz version (which end consumers are much more likely to directly deal
733:
Rose, Cecile; Heinzerling, Amy; Patel, Ketki; Sack, Coralynn; Wolff, Jenna; Zell-Baran, Lauren; Weissman, David; Hall, Emily; Sooriash, Robbie; McCarthy, Ronda B.; Bojes, Heidi; Korotzer, Brian; Flattery, Jennifer; Weinberg, Justine Lew; Potocko, Joshua; Jones, Kirk D.; Reeb-Whitaker, Carolyn K.;
331:
In
California, 77 workers at quartz countertop fabrication shops have been diagnosed with silicosis as of July, 2023. Inspections by safety officials in 2019 and 2020 showed that 72% of these shops were out of compliance with federal silica dust exposure standards. The state's Occupational Safety
327:
In
Australia, a National Dust Diseases Taskforce was established in July 2019. In Western Australia, legislation was introduced to support the early detection of silicosis caused by engineered stone. Medical practitioners in Western Australia are advised to follow strict guidelines for the health
145:
and 7% polyester resin by weight (66% quartz and 34% resin by volume) is heated and compressed under vacuum in a large press. The vibration helps compact the mixture and results in an isotropic slab with virtually no porosity. Engineered stone is then processed in basically the same manner as its
132:
99.9% pure silica in grits and powder form constitutes 90–93% of the body by weight dispersed in a matrix of unsaturated polyester resin (7–10%) mixed with peroxide catalyst and cobalt accelerator which facilitates the curing of the thermoset at ambient temperature. The cured material is
216:
hardness of marble is roughly 3, whereas that of quartz is around 7. This makes it much more resistant to scratching, however it also makes re-polishing and general processing a more difficult task, which is why it is most commonly used for kitchen counter tops, where the value added through
224:, which may be confused because of the similarities in the name. Quartz countertops are man-made even though quartz is a natural material. Quartzite countertops on the other hand are natural and they are considered to be a high end countertop material.
298:
are the most recognizable brands for quartz, as well as Totem Quartz, an
Iranian company which has a huge market in the middle east and Central Asia. Gulfstone, an Oman-based company, is the only producer of engineered quartz stone in the GCC.
64:
stone. The application of these products depends on the original stone used. For engineered marbles the most common application is indoor flooring and walls, while the quartz based product is used primarily for kitchen
692:
There are now 260 cases across
Australia, with 166 in Queensland, 61 in Victoria, 23 in NSW, 5 in Tasmania, 3 in WA, and 1 each in the ACT and SA. In SA there are also 66 cases where workers need specialist
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806:
205:-based engineered stones are created through a similar process, and multiple companies produce both at the same time, there are distinct differences in their properties and applications.
149:
Some companies import boulders themselves to crush into agglomerates (stone powders) of various grain size for their products, others simply buy already-crushed stone powders.
141:
Compaction by vibrocompression vacuum process uses elastomeric molds in which a crushed stone/resin mix is cast on a moving belt. The mixture of approximately 93% stone
653:
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460:
423:
496:
Santos, G. G.; Crovace, M. C.; Zanotto, E. D. (15 June 2019). "New engineered stones: Development and characterization of mineral-glass composites".
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sudden temperature changes. Manufacturers recommend that hot pots and pans never be placed directly on the surface, and that a hot pad or
303:
is now probably the largest market for engineered marble due to new construction projects, while engineered quartz is primarily sold in
889:
396:
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706:
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277:
255:
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259:
89:, the material is factory made in either blocks or slabs, cut and polished by fabricators, and assembled at the worksite.
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876:
736:"Severe Silicosis in Engineered Stone Fabrication Workers — California, Colorado, Texas, and Washington, 2017–2019"
248:
948:
734:
Reul, Nicholas K.; LaSee, Claire R.; Materna, Barbara L.; Raghu, Ganesh; Harrison, Robert (27 September 2019).
470:
433:
620:
586:
861:"Jo didn't know her admin job could be dangerous, but after five years she was diagnosed with silicosis"
142:
915:
643:"Hazard Alert Worker Exposure to Silica during Countertop Manufacturing, Finishing and Installation"
465:
428:
371:
890:"Australia makes world-first decision to ban engineered stone following surge in silicosis cases"
711:
513:
832:"Silica Dust (respirable crystalline) – Health Surveillance – Guide for medical practitioners"
765:
536:
92:
916:"California embraces emergency rules to protect countertop workers from incurable silicosis"
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400:
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may occur in small shops or in countries where the industry is not regulated or monitored.
33:
is a composite material made of crushed stone bound together by an adhesive to create a
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34:
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https://www.australianunions.org.au/2023/10/24/unions-vote-to-ban-engineered-stone/
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17:
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332:& Health Standards Board approved emergency regulations in December, 2023.
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Engineered stone is typically worked in the same way as natural stone using a
82:
66:
807:"Media Statements - Health surveillance requirements for silica strengthened"
320:
221:
769:
751:
676:"Silicosis surge prompts more calls for a ban on engineered stone products"
86:
70:
262: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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74:
38:
836:
Department of Mines, Industry
Regulation and Safety Western Australia
613:"Pros and Cons of Quartz Countertops - Engineered Quartz Countertops"
308:
202:
198:
182:
61:
49:
45:
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with) is commonly known as 'quartz surface' or just 'quartz'.
100:
installed. Tops are cut and polished at the fabricator's shop.
96:
Engineered stone kitchen countertops with undermount sink and
461:"Quartz supplants granite as people's choice for countertops"
424:"Open floor plans and parking among buyers' biggest desires"
783:
Ageing, Australian Government Department of Health and,
789:, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
561:"What Is the Difference Between Quartz and Quartzite?"
217:
processing can offset its considerably higher cost.
888:Thorne, Leonie; Atkin, Michael (13 December 2023).
707:"Popular Quartz Countertops Pose a Risk to Workers"
535:. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 298.
397:"Q&A: Which countertop material is toughest?"
104:Engineered stone is also commonly referred to as
311:as high end residential kitchen counter tops.
220:There is also a difference between quartz and
169:materials which can be cut with regular saws.
654:Occupational Safety and Health Administration
8:
740:MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
554:
552:
759:
278:Learn how and when to remove this message
914:Emily Alpert Reyes (December 14, 2023).
459:Deborah K. Dietsch (January 21, 2017).
357:
48:mix. This category includes engineered
212:Quartz is a much harder material. The
185:is used under portable cooking units.
682:. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
319:As with any silica-containing stone,
7:
674:Atkin, Michael (16 September 2019).
365:
363:
361:
260:adding citations to reliable sources
193:Difference between marble and quartz
559:Daniel DiClerico (April 9, 2016).
25:
510:10.1016/j.compositesb.2019.03.010
44:, with some newer versions using
585:Jason Kamery (January 1, 2017).
236:
37:. The adhesive is most commonly
786:National Dust Disease Taskforce
247:needs additional citations for
587:"One-on-One with Sophie Lubin"
498:Composites Part B: Engineering
120:, a privately held company of
1:
705:Barry Meier (April 1, 2016).
370:Sara Black (August 1, 2013).
838:. 2019-10-01. Archived from
77:. Related materials include
533:The New Scroll Saw Handbook
165:. This is in contrast with
965:
531:Spielman, Patrick (2002).
422:Jon Coile (May 27, 2017).
372:"Cast polymer categories"
611:Alexia (June 9, 2018).
113:Manufacturing equipment
752:10.15585/mmwr.mm6838a1
101:
146:natural counterpart.
95:
69:as an alternative to
256:improve this article
944:Kitchen countertops
939:Composite materials
466:The Washington Post
429:The Washington Post
376:compositesworld.com
712:The New York Times
228:Market development
197:Although both the
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27:Composite material
920:Los Angeles times
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287:
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18:Engineered quartz
16:(Redirected from
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949:Artificial stone
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623:on June 28, 2018
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401:Consumer Reports
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342:Artificial stone
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159:water jet cutter
58:polymer concrete
31:Engineered stone
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60:and engineered
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403:. July 9, 2007
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347:Surfaced block
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315:Health issues
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305:North America
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245:This section
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167:solid surface
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163:diamond blade
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118:Breton S.P.A.
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897:. Retrieved
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869:. Retrieved
867:. 2023-02-20
864:
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844:. Retrieved
840:the original
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815:. Retrieved
811:the original
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791:, retrieved
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716:. Retrieved
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684:. Retrieved
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625:. Retrieved
621:the original
617:renowaze.com
616:
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594:. Retrieved
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568:. Retrieved
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481:– via
475:. Retrieved
471:the original
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444:– via
438:. Retrieved
434:the original
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417:
405:. Retrieved
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379:. Retrieved
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254:Please help
249:verification
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899:13 December
504:: 556–565.
483:PressReader
446:PressReader
296:Caesarstone
128:Composition
106:agglomerate
79:geopolymers
67:countertops
933:Categories
871:2023-10-11
846:2021-11-19
817:2021-05-24
793:2021-11-19
693:follow-up.
686:7 December
353:References
214:Mohs scale
153:Properties
143:aggregates
83:cast stone
518:115151206
321:silicosis
268:July 2018
222:quartzite
85:. Unlike
894:ABC News
865:ABC News
770:31557149
718:April 2,
680:ABC News
659:April 2,
650:osha.gov
336:See also
173:demand.
87:terrazzo
71:laminate
761:6762184
627:July 9,
596:July 8,
570:July 9,
477:July 9,
440:July 9,
407:July 9,
381:July 9,
137:Process
122:Treviso
98:cooktop
75:granite
39:polymer
768:
758:
539:
516:
309:Europe
203:quartz
201:- and
199:marble
183:trivet
62:marble
50:quartz
46:cement
646:(PDF)
514:S2CID
301:China
291:Italy
161:or a
42:resin
901:2023
766:PMID
720:2016
688:2019
661:2016
629:2018
598:2018
572:2018
537:ISBN
479:2018
442:2018
409:2018
383:2018
307:and
81:and
52:(SiO
756:PMC
748:doi
506:doi
502:167
258:by
73:or
56:),
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551:^
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360:^
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