NJ/NY Stone Event!

Last night ADIP sponsored an event that Atlas Marble and Granite and New York Stone hosted.  Marco Duran from Atlas presented a very informative presentation about the types of stone and quarrying techniques and fabrication.  Coming from a concrete perspective it was very informative. 

 I learned a lot about the different properties of stone and how they wear.  I also learned that many stones have similar attributes as concrete.  Mainly the difference is that people understand (generally or more so) what it means to live with these natural stones and concrete is relatively newer and generally people aren't yet aware of what it means to live with it.  Marco presented the different natural stones (limestone, travertine, onyx, marble, serpentine, sandstone, slate, quartzite, and granite). He was excited to introduce quartzite which is a beautiful stone that is very durable.  He has started to fabricate it and we got to see some slabs of it.  Very different and he thinks there will be a lot more talk about quartzite as the new natural stone.  After seeing it and hearing about its attributes I would think that someone in the market for stone would definitely be excited about it! 

Another great point Marco presented was Mohs scale of mineral hardness so we could further understand what the mineral make up of natural stones are and what minerals are going to make for different attributes in how the stone will wear:

Mohs hardness	Mineral	Chemical formula	Absolute hardness	Image
1	Talc	Mg3Si4O10(OH)2	1
2	Gypsum	CaSO4·2H2O	3
3	Calcite	CaCO3	9
4	Fluorite	CaF2	21
5	Apatite	Ca5(PO4)3(OH–,Cl–,F–)	48
6	Orthoclase Feldspar	KAlSi3O8	72
7	Quartz	SiO2	100
8	Topaz	Al2SiO4(OH–,F–)2	200
9	Corundum	Al2O3	400
10	Diamond	C	1600

 From this scale you could understand why quartz is a great material for countertops.  In concrete you can add any aggregate to gain different properties an attributes in the surface.

There are many options when choosing surfacing materials and they all have their attributes.  Finding out about the differences will help people choose the best one for their service and tastes.