It is esthetically
pleasing. Solitex has beauty, a look, a "feel." It is a decorative
surface, made to be seen.
1. What's In
Solitex?
Most Solitex
materials combine two main ingredients: a natural mineral (the "filler")
and a resin (the "binder"), along with various additives.
These are combined and then cast in a curing process that results in
a sheet or a shape.
A. ATH
The filler of choice
in most Solitex has an unglamorous name: alumina tri-hydrate,
or "ATH."
ATH is refined
from bauxite ore. Bauxite is a form of clay, which means that
when it comes to the natural vs. artificial, Solitex starts
as one of the most abundant and natural minerals on earth. A tan color
comes from organic contaminants called "hubites," and means
that the ATH used in Solitex must be refined again to get a special
"white" grade. This grade has a high degree of translucency
and allows for bright, pure light colors, especially white.
ATH has great physical properties. It has excellent chemical and stain
resistance; excellent water-resistance; nice translucency; hard enough
to give superb impact-resistance but "soft" enough to be
machinable;
and one last almost magical property: not only will it not burn, but
because it has "water in hydration," when attacked by heat
ATH actually releases steam. This makes it a natural, fire-retardant.
B. Resins
Two main "families"
of resins are used to make Solitex: acrylic and polyester. A purely
acrylic-based resin yields a sheet that is thermoformable--that is,
it can be heated, bent to a new shape, and cooled without any loss of
its performance characteristics. The other chief difference between
acrylic and polyester resins is that acrylics are unaffected by the
ultraviolet rays present in natural light.
Polyester
resins (including those which are "acrylic-modified," that
is, mixed with acrylic resins) are used in many high-strength demanding
applications besides solid surfacing, including outdoor applications
like boats and aircraft cowlings. Solitex products made with these
resins are generally not considered to be thermoformable, although some
manufacturers as well as fabricators do in fact cite some thermoformability
for their products.
C. Additives
Every Solitex
contains numerous additives. These include pigments, but also
a host of additives that improve or enhance chemical and performance
properties, or even affect such mundane things as the "pot life"
of the resin in transit and storage : UV absorbers, cross-linking agents,
stabilizers, the list goes on. Every Solitex product continually
changes its additives with improvements in technology, carefully tweaking
their products in a process of "continuous improvement," in
the phrase of Dave Nickles, Supply Chain Manager for Dupont Corian.
.
2. Casting
The way a Solitex
is "cast" is generally a simple one. The resin "syrup"
is mixed with the additives and fillers and then poured into a mold,
usually open, sometimes closed (usually closed for shaped products).
It is important that no air bubbles are entrapped in the mix, as this
would result in voids in the material. This is accomplished in different
ways, from simple adjusting of the viscosity of the mix to vibrating
casting tables and other more exotic methods.
3. Curing
"Curing"
means allowing the chemical reactions that form the Solitex product
to be as close to 100% complete as possible, leaving a stable, inert
material with all its performance properties intact. Some Solitexs
cure "autogenically,"--by themselves in the open air.
Solitex is cured by being bathed in steam or heated in ovens. Many polyester resins
require "post-curing" operations, usually a heating-cooling
cycle which increases the degree of cure. Careful curing of Solitex
is a critical part of the manufacturing process. An improperly controlled
cure can cause "boil"--that is, air bubbles appearing in the
material--effectively ruining it as a Solitex. Carefully controlling
temperatures during curing is an effective way of reducing this risk.
|
Comparative Physical Data
Solid Surface Cast Panels
|
| Test |
Test
Method
|
Solitex
|
Brand
"F"
|
Brand
"C"
|
| Specific
Gravity |
ASTM
D-792
|
1.7
|
1.7
|
1.8
|
| Hardness,
Barcol |
ASTM
D-2583
|
59-61
|
55
|
56
|
| Tensile
St. (PSI) |
ASTM
D-638
|
5,700
|
4,500
|
6,000
|
| Tensile
Mod. (PSI X10 ^5) |
ASTM
D-638
|
1.38
|
1.0
|
1.5
|
| Elongation
(%) |
ASTM
D-638
|
1.38
|
1.0
|
1.5
|
| Abrasion
Resistance |
|
|
|
|
WT.
Loss (GRAMS)
|
ASTM
D-4060
|
.03
|
.08
|
----
|
WT.
Loss (CYCLES)
|
|
500
|
100
|
----
|
WEAR
THICKNESS (IN.)
(500 CYCLES)
|
|
.003
|
----
|
----
|
|
Water
Absorbtion
(WT %/24 HR.)
|
ASTM
D-570
|
.04
|
.015
|
.04
|
Impact
Falling Ball
(1/2 LB. BALL) |
ANSI
Z.124
|
8
FT. No Effect
|
No
Effect
|
No
Effect
|
Thermal
Expansion
(X 10-5IN./IN.^F.) |
ASTM
D-696
|
2.42
|
1.5
|
3.02
|
ARC
Resistance (SEC.)
Heat Resistance |
ASTM
D-495
NEMA LD-3
|
186.5
No Effect
|
----
No Effect
|
----
No Effect
|
| Boiling
Water Resistance |
NEMA
LD-3
|
No
Effect
|
No
Effect
|
No
Effect
|
| Stain
Resistance |
ANSI
Z. 124.3
|
No
Effect
|
------
|
No
Effect
|
|
*
Testing performed by Reichold Chemicals Inc. : The manufacturing
process and raw materials utilized to obtain the results is
consistant with A.B.A. Industries Standard Practices.
|
