Whether it is rock slabs or large slabs, they are both popular products in recent years. Both products have more formal names: ceramic rock slabs and ceramic large slabs. Since they both belong to the category of ceramic products, the two products are often confused together. In order to clearly distinguish and define them, industries, companies, experts and scholars have spent a lot of effort.
In fact, both large slabs and rock slabs originated abroad. According to the latest statistics, more than 138 slate production lines have been put into production in China. As my country becomes the country with the world's largest production capacity and relatively mature production technology, the standards of my country's slate products have gradually emerged. At present, two group standards and two association standards have been drafted in the domestic slate industry. However, due to the lack of national standards, it is still unclear which standard enterprises should implement and who will supervise them. Therefore, the definition of slate and slab is still debated. Today Zhongtao Jun will talk about how to distinguish between rock slabs and large slabs.
How to distinguish rock slabs and large slabs based on "production raw materials"?
When everyone still maintained a sense of mystery about the product of slate, someone once stood up and defined slate as "SINTERED STONE" (translated as sintered dense stone), which caused the achievements in the field of ceramics to be unreasonably overshadowed by stone. The industry is being robbed, which makes people laugh and cry. Subsequently, this explanation of "using stone as the main raw material" was unanimously denied by the slate manufacturers. In fact, the raw materials for the production of rock slabs are similar to those of large slabs. The three major raw materials are clay, feldspar, and quartz.
But the raw materials of rock slabs and large slabs are not completely different. In order to meet the physical properties of the rock slab, the manufacturer may optimize the ratio of raw materials, such as the fluidity of the powder, particle gradation, and expansion coefficient; in order to satisfy the decorative performance of the rock slab, the color glaze The screening will also be more stringent than that of the big board. However, due to the different production models of each manufacturer, we cannot distinguish between rock slabs and large slabs with detailed raw material formulas.
How to distinguish rock slabs and large slabs based on "production technology"?
Since the raw materials cannot make a difference, can we distinguish them in the production process? So many people began to think that the fundamental difference between rock slabs and traditional ceramic tiles or even large slabs lies in the tonnage of the press and the firing temperature. But in fact, in the ceramic industry, tonnages of more than 10,000 classes and high temperatures of more than 1,200°C are used to produce large-scale products.There are also many companies producing ceramic tile products, and large slabs produced under such conditions will not be called slate slabs.
On the other hand, there are certain differences between the production process of rock slabs and large slabs. In order to meet the wide range of applications of rock slabs, manufacturers will use more advanced cloth technology and molding equipment, as well as slow down the firing cycle and extend the cooling time to eliminate the stress of the slabs and reduce damage during processing. Although there are differences in the production process between rock slabs and large slabs, a clear dividing line cannot be drawn.
How to distinguish rock slabs and large slabs by "size"?
Some people believe that large slabs include large-sized products of 900×1800mm, 1200×2400mm, and 1600×3600mm, as well as mainstream specifications of 750×1500mm and 600×1200mm below 900×1800mm, while rock slabs Products with specifications below 900×1800mm are not included.
In fact, rock slabs and large slabs cannot be distinguished by size. Big slab literally means a product of large size; while rock slabs come in various sizes in order to meet the application in various spaces and areas. Today's rock slab manufacturers pay attention to flexible customization, and the introduction of Sacmi's continuous molding equipment promotes on-demand production scheduling, which greatly reduces the waste caused during processing and cutting. It can be seen that large slabs have specific specifications in terms of size, but rock slabs are more flexible.
How to distinguish rock slabs from large slabs by "thickness"?
In the national standard GB/T 23266-2009 "Ceramic Plate" that was implemented in November 2009, the definition of ceramic plate is: specification ≧900mm×1800mm, thickness ≦6.0mm, water absorption rate ≦0.5%. In the national standard GB/T 39156-2020 "Technical Requirements and Test Inspection Methods for Large-Scale Ceramic Plates" released in November 2020, the definition of large ceramic plates is ceramic tiles with an area >1.62㎡, thickness >6.0mm, and water absorption E ≦0.5%. Comparing these two standards, it is not difficult to find that the difference between ceramic plates and ceramic large plates in the national standard lies in thickness.
So can ceramic rock slabs, ceramic plates, and ceramic large slabs be distinguished by thickness? The answer is no. Currently, companies are mass-producing 2.5mm ultra-thin slate and 20mm ultra-thick slate. The application of some decorative panels requires the lightness and thinness of ultra-thin slate, while the application of some countertops requires the solid and stable properties of ultra-thick slate. characteristic. Therefore, there is no difference in thickness of rock slabs. Naturally, we cannot distinguish rock slabs from large slabs by thickness.
How to distinguish large slate slabs by "finish"?
Some people think: The glazed ones are big slabs, and the whole ones are rock slabs. In fact, this statement is not entirely accurate. Whether it is rock slabs or ceramic tiles, most ceramic products still have glaze layers and base layers. However, the cross section of the large slab can clearly see the layering of the glaze surface and the base base. The slate slabs use digital cloth and other technologies to make the glaze surface It is similar to the color, texture and material of the base, and looks close to the whole body. Therefore, this distinction method is only suitable for relatively rough observation.
Some people also think that the shiny ones are large slabs and the matte ones are slates. This statement is even more incorrect. The glossiness of the surface of building ceramic products mainly serves the application scope of the product. In order to restore the surface texture of rock, most rock slabs are mostly matte; most large slabs are designed to be more high-end and classy for space applications. Most of them are bright. But this can only be said to be a popular trend, not an absolute standard of identification. Large slabs can also have a matte finish, and rock slabs can also have a glossy finish. To sum up, there is no difference between slate and large slabs.
How to distinguish slate slabs by "application field"?
As we all know, large slabs are mainly used for upper walls and lower floors in architectural decoration, while slate slabs have a wider range of applications. In addition to being used on upper walls and lower floors like large slabs, they can also be used in home countertops, furniture panels, and electrical appliances. Panels and even building facades, etc. The wide range of application fields means that rock slabs must withstand the test of cutting, drilling, polishing and other processes. This also forces the overall performance of rock slabs to be better than large slabs from another perspective.
Stone slabs have many superior properties of new materials, such as low water absorption, scratch resistance, anti-fouling, bending resistance, impact resistance, fire prevention, antibacterial, corrosion resistance, food-grade surface, etc., in addition to Involving Mohs hardness, fracture mode, expansion coefficient, anti-slip coefficient, anti-slip coefficient and many other indicators, the most critical of which is the machinability.
Industry experts also strongly support distinguishing rock slabs and large slabs based on application fields and performance. Huang Huining, deputy director of the Expert Committee of the Guangdong Ceramics Association, once made it clear at the "Ceramic Slate" Standards and Quality Development Forum:"Ceramic slate has no size, thickness, or thickness. According to the application field and machinability, Sexually differentiated ceramic slabs ”
How to differentiate between rock slabs and large slabs by "brand"?
For ordinary consumers, it is either unreliable or too difficult to distinguish between rock slabs and large slabs through the above factors. Because of this, there are many cases of large slabs being sold as slates in the market. Are there any methods that consumers can use and are more effective?
If you want to find "pure" slate products, it is very important to find the right professional slate brand.
In 2020, China Ceramics Network pioneered the "Golden Rock Award", a prestigious award selection in the field of rock slabs. This project has undergone a comprehensive evaluation of multiple professional slate brands. Marco Polo slate, Xinmingzhu slate, Emeishan Jintao slate, Meimei ultra-thin slate, Shunhui slate, and Jiangjun slate were rated as "2020 "Influential slate brand"; Nobel slate and Xinju Home were rated as "Designers' favorite slate brands"; Mona Lisa slate and Dongwei slate were rated as "Technologically innovative slate brands"; Germany Li & Fung Home Furnishing was named the "Leading Slate Brand for Large Home Furnishings"; Lingbiao Technology was rated as the "Outstanding New Slate Brand in 2020".
In 2021, the "Golden Rock Award" will set out again to find high-quality, trustworthy rock slab brands for consumers. Stay tuned!
