Coated Composite Lumps for Artificial Marble Slabs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing artificial marble lack efficiency in creating durable and resistant stone slabs with consistent properties, as they often result in uneven distribution and low resistance to stains and impact.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the production of coated lumps of composite stone material, where inorganic particulate materials like quartz are mixed with polymers and binders, and then compacted and cured to form slabs with enhanced strength and resistance, utilizing a vacuum and vibration process to ensure uniform distribution and high pressure for improved durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional methods are used to produce artificial marble, then the production process is simpler, but the resulting slabs have uneven distribution and low resistance to stains and impact
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the stone material into discrete coated lumps before compaction. These lumps are formed by mixing inorganic particulate material with polymer and binder, then coating with additional inorganic particulate material. This segmentation allows for more uniform distribution and better bond strength between particles, resulting in slabs with improved resistance to stains and impact while maintaining manageable production complexity through automated mixing and coating processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure by coating lumps with a combination of inorganic particulate material (such as quartz), polymer, and binder. This composite approach combines the durability of inorganic materials with the binding properties of polymers, producing slabs that exhibit enhanced mechanical strength, stain resistance, and impact resistance compared to conventional homogeneous artificial marble.
2Strength
If coated lumps are compacted at high pressure, then the slab strength and uniform distribution improve, but the energy consumption and process time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary mixing and coating of inorganic particulate material with polymer and binder to form coated lumps before the final compaction step. This preliminary preparation ensures that the materials are pre-bonded and uniformly distributed, so that during compaction, less energy is required to achieve the desired density and strength. The lumps are already structured to bond effectively, reducing the energy needed for the compaction process while still achieving high flexural strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method results in artificial marble slabs with increased flexural strength, reduced water absorption, and enhanced resistance to stains and impact, achieving properties superior to natural stones with a high percentage of the slab composed of coated lumps.
Implementation Method 1
removing substantially all air among the plurality of lumps
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a vacuum and vibration process to ensure uniform distribution
Data Source
AI summary
An artificial stone slab comprises a plurality of coated lumps of composite stone material, wherein at least a first set of the plurality of coated lumps are substantially in contact with one another, and wherein at least a second set of the plurality of coated lumps are spaced apart by one or more fillers. An engineered stone slab comprises a plurality of coated lumps of composite stone material, wherein at least a portion of the coated lumps comprise an inner core having a first color and an outer layer having a second, different, color.