With the recent
concern about green buildings and the increased attention towards green
products, it is not surprising to see many new green products that are able to
meet the required beauty and inspiration, strength, durability, and recyclability.
The growing market for green products prioritizes nature as a vital source of
inspiration and the sole provider of all material that are used in
manufacturing cycle.
Large Format
Porcelain Panels are extremely thin panels that can be used for both interior
and exterior parts of construction. These panels are regarded as a green
product with recyclable content which introduced to market in 2012. However,
the major part of this product is porcelain that has been manufactured and used
for more than 2000 years from Ming Dynasty vases to small tiles, bathroom
fixtures, and urinals.
New porcelain panel products are very thin, similar to tile with 1⁄8" (3mm) and 1⁄4" (6 mm) thickness. This thickness typically includes a thin fiberglass mesh backing for added strength. The size of these panels are as large as 5' x 10' or 3' x 10'. These panels are not heavy that result in easier installation not
only for walls and floors but also even for ceilings. They can be easily cut to de desired shape (like glass) and are also flexible enough to be applied for curves. Other merits for these panels are being strong, dense, nonporous, and impervious to moisture; resist scratching, staining, fading, and cracking; not affected by freezethaw cycles; chemical-resistant; not a food source for mold or mildew; extremely low-maintenance; and non-emitting VOCs or other chemicals.
This product is
produced in a few manufacturing companies in Italy and has not yet fully
commercialized. Therefore, there is a high transportation cost for using LFPP in
U.S. However, due to its lighter weigh compared to other similar tiles and its
ample benefits over other products they are imported to U.S. market.
The cost of
this product is around $20–$25/ ft2 (uninstalled cost), which is less than most
stone or recycled-content surface material. This figure may decrease by commercializing
it in today’s market and manufacturing it in the U.S.
Before starting
the installation, the surface should be clean, dry, solid, compact, and without
any loose parts. The flatness of the surface should be measured at least by a
two meters long rod. The flatness differences must be smoothed by suitable
self-leveling products. Due to the sensitivity of the installation, before applying
adhesive it is recommended to outline the laying areas.
For additional information go to these links:
EBN_March 2013
STONEPEAK
LAMINAM
For additional information go to these links:
EBN_March 2013
STONEPEAK
LAMINAM
Very interesting. Using materials that can be recycled should be a priority in the projects nowadays. If the costs can be reduced, builders would apply that in large scale. But they do not calculate the life cycle of the product, so that is a barrier to become more popular. On the other hand, designers and contractors are seeing a high demand of green buildings, so the porcelain panels can definitely be considered on the projects.
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