KR102737108B1 - Artificial marble having same texture as natural stone and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an artificial marble comprising a first composition comprising a first binder resin, a first inorganic particle, and a first inorganic powder; and a second composition comprising a second binder resin, a second inorganic particle, and a second inorganic powder, wherein at least one surface of the artificial marble comprises at least two regions among a region provided with the first composition, a region provided with the second composition, and a region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, and wherein at least one of surface roughness, scratch resistance, and thickness of each region is different, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Description

{ARTIFICIAL MARBLE HAVING SAME TEXTURE AS NATURAL STONE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to artificial marble having a texture similar to natural stone and a method for manufacturing the same.

Artificial marble is an artificial composite material that embodies the pattern and texture of natural stone by mixing natural stone powder or minerals with a base such as acrylic, unsaturated polyester, epoxy, resin, or cement, and adding additives such as pigments. Representative examples include acrylic artificial marble, polyester artificial marble, epoxy artificial marble, and engineered stone artificial marble.

Engineered stone, also known as E-stone, is an artificial marble made mainly of quartz and natural stone powder. Engineered stone is increasingly in demand for indoor floors, wall decorations, kitchen countertops, etc., and accordingly, technology that can implement various designs is required.

In particular, in the recent interior market, interest in designs with a natural texture that is more similar to the appearance of natural stone is gradually increasing.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1270415

The purpose of the present invention is to provide artificial marble having a texture similar to natural stone and a method for manufacturing the same.

One embodiment of the present invention provides an artificial marble comprising a first composition comprising a first binder resin, a first inorganic particle, and a first inorganic powder; and a second composition comprising a second binder resin, a second inorganic particle, and a second inorganic powder, wherein at least one surface of the artificial marble comprises at least two regions among a region provided with the first composition, a region provided with the second composition, and a region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, and at least one of surface roughness, scratch resistance, and thickness of each region is different.

Another embodiment of the present invention is

A step of preparing a first composition comprising a first binder resin, first inorganic particles and a first inorganic powder; and a second composition comprising a second binder resin, second inorganic particles and second inorganic powder;

A step of curing the first composition and the second composition; and

Step of surface finishing the first and second compositions cured by a leather finish method

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an artificial marble, wherein at least one surface of the artificial marble includes at least two regions among a region provided with the first composition, a region provided with the second composition, and a region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, and at least one of surface roughness, scratch resistance, and thickness of each region is different.

The artificial marble of the present invention comprises a first composition and a second composition, each of which is mixed individually, and at least two regions among a region provided with the first composition, a region provided with the second composition, and a region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed have different characteristics in at least one of surface roughness, scratch resistance, and thickness, thereby enabling the artificial marble to implement a variety of textures inherent in a material such as natural stone, compared to existing artificial marble having a uniform texture. For example, since the region including the first composition and the region including the second composition include materials having different hardnesses, when a surface finish treatment such as a leather finish method is performed, an artificial marble having a different surface finish state, such as surface roughness, scratch resistance, and/or thickness, depending on the hardness of the material can be provided.

Figures 1 to 3 each show photographs of the surfaces of artificial marble manufactured in Examples 1 to 3.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. However, the following descriptions are intended to exemplify the embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

The terms or words used in this specification should not be interpreted as limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, and should be interpreted as meanings and concepts that conform to the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term in order to explain his or her own invention in the best way.

The terms used in this specification are used only to describe exemplary embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In this specification, terms such as “include,” “have,” or “have” are intended to describe the presence of a specific component, and do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of other components.

In this specification, the expression “existing on” a specific component is intended to express existence on one side of the specific component, and is not intended to limit a superior-subordinate relationship. Also, it is not limited to physical contact with the component, and means that other members may be additionally provided between the component and the component.

In this specification, the term “pattern” is an expression that is distinct from the front layer, and means that, unlike the front layer in which a specific material occupies the entire volume of one layer, a specific material occupies only a portion of the volume of one layer, and a portion of the layer is filled with empty space or another material.

In this specification, the Vein Pattern refers to a pattern resembling veins or tree branches, and refers to a continuous pattern having a length greater than a certain length. In this specification, the Vein Pattern is not limited to a straight line or a curve of a specific shape. In this specification, the Vein Pattern may also be referred to as a striped pattern.

In this specification, “base” means a base portion of artificial marble other than a pattern.

In this specification, the term “region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed” means a region on the surface of an artificial marble where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, and means a region where the width of the region composed solely of the first composition and the region composed solely of the second composition are less than 2 cm.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, an artificial marble comprises a first composition comprising a first binder resin, first inorganic particles, and a first inorganic powder; and a second composition comprising a second binder resin, second inorganic particles, and second inorganic powder, wherein at least one surface of the artificial marble comprises at least two regions among a region provided with the first composition, a region provided with the second composition, and a region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, and at least one of surface roughness, scratch resistance, and thickness of each region is different.

The artificial marble according to the above embodiment comprises the first composition and the second composition separately, and at least one surface of the artificial marble comprises at least two regions among a region provided with the first composition, a region provided with the second composition, and a region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, and at least one of the surface roughness, scratch resistance, and thickness of each region is different. As an example, when the hardness of the material of the region provided with the first composition and the region provided with the second composition are different, when the artificial marble is subjected to a surface finish treatment such as a leather finish method, depending on the difference in the hardness of the material in each region, the artificial marble may have a different surface finish state, such as surface roughness and/or scratch resistance, for each region, and the degree of polishing may be different for each region, so that the thickness may vary. Accordingly, a variety of textures like natural stone can be implemented.

According to one embodiment, the degree of mixing of the components included in the first composition and the degree of mixing of the components included in the second composition are each higher than the degrees of mixing of the first composition and the second composition. For example, the components included in each of the first composition and the second composition may exist in a relatively uniformly mixed state. Here, the uniformly mixed state does not mean a completely uniform state, but means a case where each component is appropriately dispersed to a degree acceptable in the field of artificial marble technology. For example, it means that the components included in the first or second composition are mixed within a range that can be mixed using a uniform mixer.

On the other hand, the degree to which the first composition and the second composition are mixed with each other is relatively low. For example, the first composition and the second composition may be in a state in which they are non-uniformly mixed with each other. Here, the non-uniformly mixed state means that the components of each of the first composition and the second composition are not completely mixed with each other and at least some of them remain as they are. In other words, when the first composition and the second composition are in a state in which they are non-uniformly mixed, it means that at least a part or all of the first composition and at least a part or all of the second composition exist in the artificial marble without being mixed with the components of the other composition. Accordingly, a boundary surface may be formed between the region where the first composition exists and the region where the second composition exists. For example, the first composition and the second composition are each mixed using a separate mixer, and then the first composition and the second composition that are each mixed are non-uniformly mixed.

Non-uniform mixing can be performed, for example, using a ring mixer, and the mixing degree can be controlled by adjusting the speed, rotation speed, etc. of the ring mixer. When forming a pattern on artificial marble, the first composition, the second composition, and, if necessary, a third or more compositions can be placed in each mixer to form various patterns. At this time, the pattern can be varied depending on the type, content, and order of the compositions of each mixer and the mixing degree of the ring mixer.

As another example of non-uniform mixing, the first composition, the second composition, and optionally the third or more compositions are mixed using separate mixers, and then the remaining compositions can be directly sprayed onto at least one of the first composition, the second composition, and optionally the third or more compositions, which are uniformly mixed. In this case, a pattern can be formed in a desired shape such as a pattern or base at the directly sprayed position. Spraying refers to a process of dropping and filling one or more individually mixed compositions into a mold. At this time, each composition is individually mixed before spraying. If necessary, a groove can be dug using an embossing roller, a robot, etc. to form a pattern after spraying, and a robot, etc. can be used to fill the groove using a separate composition to fill the groove. When the third or more compositions are used, these compositions may be compositions containing the same material as the first composition and/or the second composition, or may be compositions containing at least one component having a different hardness from the components included in the first composition and/or the second composition.

According to one embodiment, at least one surface of the artificial marble includes at least two regions among a region provided with the first composition, a region provided with the second composition, and a region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, and in order to make at least one of surface roughness, scratch resistance, and thickness of each region different, the first inorganic particles of the first composition may have different properties such as hardness from the second inorganic particles of the second composition, and/or the first inorganic powder of the first composition may have different properties such as hardness from the second inorganic powder of the second composition. The greater the difference in hardness of the particles or powders, the higher the degree to which the artificial marble is polished under the same conditions, and thus the roughness difference may become greater. In addition, the difference in roughness may be greater when particles having different hardnesses are used, compared to when only powders having different hardnesses are used in the first composition and the second composition, respectively.

Here, the first inorganic particle, the second inorganic particle, the first inorganic powder, and the second inorganic powder may each be composed of one type of particle or powder, but a case where they include two or more types of particles or powders is also included in the scope of the present invention. Specifically, either one of the first composition and the second composition, or both may each include a mixed composition in which two or more types of binder resins, two or more types of inorganic particles, or two or more types of inorganic powders are mixed. For example, when the first inorganic particle and the second inorganic particle are each composed of only one type of particle, all of the second inorganic particles may have different properties, such as hardness, from all of the first inorganic particles. As another example, when the first inorganic particle includes two or more types of particles, at least one type of particle among the second inorganic particles may have different properties, such as hardness, from at least one type of particle among the first inorganic particles. Similarly, all or at least one type of the second inorganic powder may have different properties, such as hardness, from all or at least one type of the first inorganic powder.

In addition, when the second inorganic particles include two or more types of particles, they may include particles having the same properties as at least one type of the first inorganic particles, such as hardness, but the content of the particles having the same properties in the second inorganic particles may be different from the content in the first inorganic particles. Similarly, when the second inorganic powder includes two or more types of powder, they may include powder having the same properties as at least one type of the first inorganic powder, such as hardness, but the content of the powder having the same properties in the second inorganic powder may be different from the content in the first inorganic powder. In this case, even if the first composition and the second composition include particles or powders having the same properties, at least one surface of the artificial marble includes at least two regions among a region provided with the first composition, a region provided with the second composition, and a region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, and at least one of surface roughness, scratch resistance, and thickness of each region may be different. Depending on the difference in content as mentioned above, there may be differences in the area, distribution, thickness, etc. of the polished portion when polishing artificial marble under the same conditions. Specifically, it seems that there may be differences in the area, distribution, or thickness of the portion that is further removed depending on the difference in content between the first and second inorganic particles.

According to one embodiment, the second inorganic particles may include particles having a different hardness from the first inorganic particles, or may include particles having the same hardness as the first inorganic particles in a different content from the first inorganic particles.

When the second inorganic particles include particles having a different hardness from the first inorganic particles, all of the second inorganic particles may have a different hardness from at least one of the first inorganic particles, and the second inorganic particles may further include particles having the same hardness as the first inorganic particles. Similarly, when the first inorganic particles include particles having a different hardness from the second inorganic particles, all of the first inorganic particles may have a different hardness from at least one of the second inorganic particles, and the first inorganic particles may further include particles having the same hardness as the second inorganic particles.

When the second inorganic particles and the first inorganic particles include particles having the same hardness, all or at least one of the second inorganic particles may be particles having the same hardness as at least one of the first inorganic particles, and in this case, the content of particles having the same hardness among the first and second inorganic particles may be different in the first inorganic particles and the second inorganic particles.

According to one embodiment, the second inorganic particles may include particles having a hardness difference of 1 to 4 from at least one of the first inorganic particles. For example, the hardness of the first and second inorganic particles may be 3 to 7, respectively.

According to one embodiment, the first inorganic particle and the second inorganic particle may each include at least one selected from quartz, alumina, aluminum hydroxide, and aluminum. At this time, the hardness of the examples may be quartz 7, alumina 8, aluminum hydroxide 3, and aluminum 3, respectively.

According to another embodiment, the second inorganic powder may include a powder having a different hardness from the first inorganic powder, or may include a powder having the same hardness as the first inorganic powder in a different amount from the first inorganic powder.

When the second inorganic powder includes powder having a different hardness from that of the first inorganic powder, all of the second inorganic powders may have a different hardness from that of at least one of the first inorganic powders, and the second inorganic powder may further include powder having the same hardness as that of the first inorganic powder. Similarly, when the first inorganic powder includes powder having a different hardness from that of the second inorganic powder, all of the first inorganic powders may have a different hardness from that of at least one of the second inorganic powders, and the first inorganic powder may further include powder having the same hardness as that of the second inorganic powder.

When the second inorganic powder and the first inorganic powder include powders having the same hardness, all or at least one of the second inorganic powders may be powders having the same hardness as at least one of the first inorganic powders, and in this case, the powders having the same hardness among the first and second inorganic powders may have different contents in the first inorganic powder and the second inorganic powder.

According to one embodiment, the second inorganic powder may include a powder having a hardness difference of 1 to 4 from at least one of the first inorganic powders. For example, the hardness of the first and second inorganic powders may be 3 to 7, respectively.

According to one embodiment, the first inorganic powder and the second inorganic powder may each include at least one selected from quartz, alumina, glass, aluminum hydroxide, fused silica, and aluminum. At this time, the hardness of the examples may be quartz 7, alumina 8, glass 6.5, aluminum hydroxide 3, fused silica 6.5, and aluminum 3, respectively. By selecting and using powders having different hardnesses among the examples, it is possible to express a difference in roughness of the surface of the artificial marble as described above, thereby implementing the texture of natural stone.

In the present specification, the difference in surface roughness, scratch resistance, or thickness of at least two regions among a region provided with the first composition, a region provided with the second composition, and a region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed on at least one surface of the artificial marble can be measured by the following method.

Surface roughness can be measured through the ten-point median roughness, which is the difference between the average height of the five highest peaks and the average depth of the five deepest valleys in the cross-sectional curve of each area. Specifically, after setting a 3 cm reference line in two areas with different surface roughness, the thickness was measured with a micrometer at intervals of 0.2 mm, and the ten-point median roughness (ten point median height) was calculated. The difference in the ten-point average roughness of at least two areas among the area provided with the first composition, the area provided with the second composition, and the area where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, measured by this method, may be 10 to 250 μm. For example, the ten-point average roughness of the area provided with the first composition and the area provided with the second composition may be 10 to 50 μm and 100 to 250 μm, respectively.

Scratch resistance can be measured by a Scratch hardenss test method. Specifically, scratch resistance can be measured using a Scratch Hardness Tester 413, 13196 Diamond tip from ERICHSEN. The difference in scratch resistance of at least two regions among the region provided with the first composition, the region provided with the second composition, and the region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, measured by this method, may be more than 0 N and less than or equal to 0.6 N. For example, the scratch resistance of the region provided with the first composition and the region provided with the second composition may be 1.2 to 1.6 N and 0.8 to 1.2 N, respectively.

Thickness refers to the length in the thickness direction perpendicular to the surface of the artificial marble, and can be measured by the average value of the thickness at three points at 1 cm intervals on an arbitrary imaginary straight line that is 3 cm long on each region. The difference in the thickness of at least two regions among the region provided with the first composition, the region provided with the second composition, and the region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, which are measured in this way, may be 20 to 400 μm. For example, the thickness of each of the region provided with the first composition and the region provided with the second composition may be 19.880 to 20.120 mm and 19.400 to 19.900 mm for a 20T product, and 29.880 to 30.120 mm and 29.400 to 29.900 mm for a 30T product, respectively.

According to one embodiment, the area provided with the first composition and the area provided with the second composition may be a base and a pattern, respectively. According to one example, the second inorganic particles may include particles having a hardness higher than that of the first inorganic particles, or the second inorganic powder may include particles having a hardness higher than that of the first inorganic powder. In this case, the surface of the vein pattern has greater surface roughness, scratch resistance, and/or thickness than the surface of the base. If necessary, the area provided with the second composition and the area provided with the first composition may be a base and a pattern, respectively.

The shape of the above base and pattern can be implemented in various ways, and the shape of each area can be determined according to the pattern implementation method. For example, shapes such as 2-tone, multi-tone, synchronized embossing, gradient, and vein pattern can be implemented, and the vein pattern can be classified into short vein and long vein according to the length of the vein.

As an example, in an artificial marble including a short vein as a pattern, if the short vein area is an area including a material with high hardness, the surface of the short vein area may be in a protruding state. Specifically, if the short vein area includes a different type or content of a coloring agent from the base area, only the short vein area having a different color may be protruded. The form may vary depending on the shape of the short vein.

As another example, in an artificial marble having a long vein as a pattern, if the long vein area is an area containing a material with low hardness, the thickness of the long vein area may be thinner than that of the base area. The thickness may vary depending on the degree of polishing of the artificial marble.

As another example, in an artificial marble including a vein pattern formed by a sympathetic embossing as a pattern, if the vein pattern is a region including a material with low hardness, the thickness of the vein pattern may be thinner than that of the base portion.

As another example, in artificial marble containing a multi-tone pattern, areas containing materials of different hardness may be evenly distributed, resulting in random thickness differences.

As another example, artificial marble including a gradient pattern can be implemented by a difference in the content of low-hardness particles and/or powder. For example, when a composition including 100 wt% of quartz as an inorganic particle in Mixer 1, 60 wt% of quartz/40 wt% of aluminum hydroxide as inorganic particles in Mixer 2, and 40 wt% of quartz/60 wt% of aluminum hydroxide as inorganic particles in Mixer 3 are respectively added and dispersed at positions so as to directly form a desired pattern to implement a gradient pattern, after brush polishing under the same conditions, the thickness of the area provided with the composition of Mixer 1 may be the thickest, followed by the thickness difference between the area provided with the composition of Mixer 2 and the area provided with the composition of Mixer 3. When each area composed of the compositions of Mixers 1, 2, and 3 is configured with a similar color, it is also possible to implement a color gradient.

The above first and second inorganic particles may be inorganic particles having a particle size of 0.1 to 4 mm. The particle size can be measured using a Beckman Coulter LS 13 320 Particle size analyzer.

According to one embodiment, the first inorganic powder and the second inorganic powder may be inorganic powders having a particle size of 0.1 mm or less, for example, 0.001 mm or more and 0.1 mm or less. The method of measuring the particle size may be applied to the description related to inorganic particles.

According to one embodiment, the first binder resin and the second binder resin are contained in an amount of less than 20 wt% based on 100 wt% of each of the first and second compositions. According to one embodiment, the first and second binder resins may contain 90 wt% or more of an unsaturated polyester resin.

When the inorganic content including inorganic particles, inorganic powders, etc. is 80 wt% or more and the binder resin is less than 20 wt%, it is called 'Easton'. When the binder resin is 30 wt% or more, it is called 'solid surface'. Unsaturated polyester (UPE) is usually used as the binder resin of 'Easton', but it is not limited to this, and various types such as PMMA are being studied. In addition, MMA is often used as the binder resin of the typical 'solid surface', but it is not limited to this, and various resins are being studied. The present invention relates to 'Easton' according to the above definition.

The first and second binder resins can be manufactured by mixing and dispersing 0.4 to 2.5 parts by weight of a curing agent, 0.05 to 0.3 parts by weight of a catalyst, and 0.5 to 7 parts by weight of a coupling agent per 100 parts by weight of an unsaturated polyester resin, and then curing.

The unsaturated polyester resin may include a composition comprising an unsaturated polyester polymer and a vinyl monomer in a weight ratio of 100:30 to 70, or a cured product thereof. The unsaturated polyester resin may be produced using a resin mixture comprising an unsaturated polyester polymer and a vinyl monomer. Preferably, the unsaturated polyester resin is produced using a composition comprising an unsaturated polyester polymer and a vinyl monomer in a weight ratio of 100:30 to 70. More preferably, the unsaturated polyester resin is produced using a composition comprising 60 to 75 wt% of an unsaturated polyester polymer and 25 to 40 wt% of a vinyl monomer.

The above unsaturated polyester resin can be a viscous solution in which an unsaturated polyester polymer is diluted in the above vinyl monomer. Therefore, by satisfying the content of the vinyl monomer in the above-mentioned range, the viscosity can be reduced, making it easier to handle the unsaturated polyester resin. In addition, the vinyl monomer can harden the unsaturated polyester resin from a liquid to a solid by cross-linking of polyester molecular chains without generating by-products. The weight average molecular weight of the unsaturated polyester resin is 1,000-10,000 g/mol.

The above unsaturated polyester polymer is not particularly limited, and for example, an unsaturated polyester polymer produced through a condensation reaction of a saturated or unsaturated dibasic acid; and a polyhydric alcohol can be used. As the saturated or unsaturated dibasic acid, ortho-phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, maleic anhydride, citraconic acid, fumaric acid, itaconic acid, phthalic acid, phthalic anhydride, terephthalic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, sebacic acid, or tetrahydrophthalic acid can be used. In addition, as the polyhydric alcohol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, hydrogenated bisphenol A, trimethylol propane monoaryl ether, neopentyl glycol, 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentadiol and/or glycerin can be used. In addition, a monobasic acid such as acrylic acid, propionic acid or benzoic acid; or a polybasic acid such as trimellitic acid or the tetracarboxylic acid of benzol can be further used as needed.

As the type of the above vinyl monomer, an alkyl acrylate monomer or an aromatic vinyl monomer can be used. However, considering the reactivity with the unsaturated polyester polymer, it is preferable to use an aromatic vinyl monomer. For example, as the above aromatic vinyl monomer, at least one selected from the group consisting of styrene, α-methylstyrene, p-methylstyrene, vinyl toluene, alkyl styrene substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and styrene substituted with a halogen can be used. A styrene monomer is preferably used.

The above curing agent can be included for the curing reaction of the binder, and any curing agent used in the production of engineered stone can be used, but is not particularly limited. The above curing agent can be an organic peroxide compound or an azo compound. The organic peroxide compound can be one or two or more selected from tertbutyl peroxybenzoate thermal curing agent (TBPB, Trigonox C, Akzo Nobel), diacyl peroxide, hydroperoxide, ketone peroxide, peroxyester, peroxyketal, dialkyl peroxide, alkyl perester, percarbonate, and peroxydicarbonate. Examples thereof include, but are not necessarily limited to, tert-butyl peroxybenzoate thermosetting agent, benzoyl peroxide, dicumyl peroxide, butyl hydroperoxide, cumyl hydroperoxide, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, t-butyl peroxy maleate, t-butyl hydroperoxide, acetyl peroxide, lauroyl peroxide, t-butyl peroxy neodecanoate, or t-amyl peroxy 2-ethyl hexanoate.

In addition, the azo compound may be, but is not necessarily limited to, azobisisobutyronitrile. The binder resin may contain 0.4 to 2.5 parts by weight of a hardener based on 100 parts by weight of the unsaturated polyester resin. When the hardener is contained in an amount of 0.4 parts by weight or more, sufficient hardening of the binder resin can occur, and when the hardener is contained in an amount of 2.5 parts by weight or less, discoloration of the binder can be prevented.

The above catalyst can be included to promote hardening of the binder at a low temperature, and can be a catalyst used in the production of engineered stone, but is not particularly limited thereto. The catalyst can be one or more selected from metal soaps such as cobalt-based, vanadium-based or manganese-based, tertiary amines, quaternary ammonium salts and mercaptans. For example, a cobalt 6% catalyst (Hex-Cem, Borchers) can be used. The binder resin can include 0.05 to 0.3 parts by weight of the catalyst relative to 100 parts by weight of the unsaturated polyester resin. When the catalyst is included in an amount of 0.05 parts by weight or more, it is advantageous in promoting hardening, and when it is included in an amount of 0.3 parts by weight or less, it can prevent discoloration of the binder.

The coupling agent may be included to improve the bonding strength between the binder resin and inorganic particles such as natural mineral particles and/or quartz powder, and may be a silane-based or silicate-based agent. The binder resin may include 0.5 to 7 parts by weight of the coupling agent based on 100 parts by weight of the unsaturated polyester resin. When the coupling agent is included in an amount of 0.5 parts by weight or more, it is advantageous in improving the bonding strength with the inorganic particles and/or quartz powder, and when it is included in an amount of 7 parts by weight or less, it is advantageous in lowering the unit cost of raw materials.

According to one embodiment, the first composition and the second composition may each contain 500 to 700 parts by weight of inorganic particles and 200 to 400 parts by weight of inorganic powder with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin. At this time, the inorganic particles are contained in an amount of 500 to 700 parts by weight, and preferably 550 to 650 parts by weight, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin. At this time, the inorganic powder is contained in an amount of 200 to 400 parts by weight, and preferably 250 to 350 parts by weight, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin.

According to one embodiment, the first composition and/or the second composition may further include a colorant, for example, a pigment, as needed. The colorant may be included in only one of the first and second compositions, or in both. When the colorant is included in both, they may be the same or different. The pigment may be included in an amount of 0.01 to 2 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the first composition and/or the second composition. The pigment may be a pigment generally used in the production of artificial marble and is not particularly limited. The pigment may be an inorganic pigment, and may include, for example, TiO ₂ , NiO·Sb ₂ O ₃ ·20TiO ₂ , Fe ₂ O ₃ , Fe ₃ O ₄ , etc.

Another embodiment of the present invention is

A step of preparing a first composition comprising a first binder resin, first inorganic particles and a first inorganic powder; and a second composition comprising a second binder resin, second inorganic particles and second inorganic powder;

A step of curing the first composition and the second composition; and

A method for manufacturing an artificial marble according to the above-described embodiments is provided, which includes a step of surface finishing the first and second compositions cured by a leather finish method. An artificial marble according to the above-described embodiments can be manufactured by this method.

First, each of the first and second compositions It can be carried out by a step of mixing inorganic particles into a binder resin, mixing the mixture well, adding inorganic powder, mixing and mixing well to prepare a composition. At this time, when mixing the inorganic particles into the binder resin, mixing the mixture well, adding inorganic powder, mixing and mixing well to prepare an artificial marble composition, one or more colored pigments and/or chips can be mixed together to prepare an artificial marble composition. In addition, a first sub-artificial marble composition can be prepared by mixing inorganic particles into the binder resin, mixing the mixture well, and mixing the inorganic powder, pigment and/or chips together, and a second sub-artificial marble composition can be prepared using different types of pigments and/or chips in the same manner, and two or more small amounts of sub-artificial marble compositions can be prepared in this manner, and then they can be mixed to prepare a final artificial marble composition and used. At this time, the sub-artificial marble compositions may each include different pigments and/or chips, and the addition amount of each sub-artificial marble composition used in the manufacture of the artificial marble may also be different. In addition, when mixing a plurality of sub-artificial marble compositions to manufacture a final artificial marble composition, it is preferable that the sub-artificial marble compositions are not mixed completely well with each other, but are mixed unevenly so that the sub-artificial marble compositions may remain in lumps here and there in the final artificial marble composition. Here, each sub-artificial marble composition may correspond to the first composition and the second composition described above.

The step of curing the first composition and the second composition may include a step of putting the first and second compositions into a mold and performing a vacuum vibration compression molding step; a step of curing the first and second compositions; and a step of cooling to room temperature (cooling) and removing the first and second compositions from the mold (demolding) after curing is complete, thereby manufacturing an artificial marble. Specifically, the step may be performed by a step of putting the first and second compositions into a mold and performing a vacuum vibration compression molding step of compacting using a vacuum pressurizing device, followed by a step of curing at 90 to 130° C. for 30 minutes to 1 hour, followed by cooling to room temperature (cooling) and removing the first and second compositions from the mold (demolding) after curing is complete, thereby manufacturing an artificial marble.

The step of surface finishing the above-mentioned hardened first and second compositions is performed by a leather finish method. The surface finishing may also be expressed as polishing. The leather finish method is a method using a brush pad, and the surface finishing can be performed so that, depending on the hardness of each part of the artificial marble, a part with strong hardness is relatively less etched, and a part with less strong hardness is relatively more etched.

As in the present invention, when the first composition and the second composition do not contain particles or powders having different hardness, or do not have different contents of particles or powders having the same hardness, even when the surface is finished using a leather finish method, only an effect similar to a matte finish is exhibited on the entire surface of the artificial marble. However, according to the present invention, a natural texture like natural stone can be implemented for each region due to the difference in hardness in each region where the first composition and the second composition are provided. A brush pad can be used for the surface finishing, and brush pads of 36 grit, 46 grit, 60 grit, 120 grit, 220 grit, and 300 grit can be used depending on the roughness. A pad of a low grit value, for example, 36 grit to 60 grit, can be used to create surface roughness, and a pad of a high grit value, for example, 120 grit to 300 grit, can be used for a slightly softer finish.

According to one embodiment, the method may further include a step of mixing or patterning the first composition and the second composition before or during the step of curing the first composition and the second composition. At this time, the mixing may be performed at a relatively lower degree than the degree to which the components of each of the first and second compositions are mixed. The patterning may utilize a patterning method used in the field of artificial marble, and for example, the first or second composition may be used to implement a two-tone, multi-tone, vein pattern, gradient, or synchronized embossing pattern.

The above mixing or patterning may be performed during or after the step of introducing the first and second compositions described above into the mold and before the vacuum vibration compression step.

2-tone can be formed by mixing similar color tones unevenly in a ring mixer and then dispersing them using two mixers to form a pattern.

Multitones can be formed by preparing three compositions of different colors in three mixers, then mixing them more evenly than two tones, if necessary, in a ring mixer, so that the three color mixtures are mixed randomly.

Shot veins can be formed by uniformly spraying powder pigments from a mold belt. Powder pigments that are inserted between the lumps of base composition are revealed when the artificial marble is hardened and polished, forming shot veins. At this time, the powder pigment used may include inorganic particles and pigments.

Long veins with narrow line widths can be formed by molding a base composition, drawing lines with an embossing roller or robot, and then injecting liquid pigment or powder pigment, while long veins with wide line widths can be formed by molding a base composition, creating grooves with a robot, and then injecting a pattern composition.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by way of examples in order to specifically explain the present invention. However, the examples according to the present invention can be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples described below. The examples of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those with average knowledge in the art.

[Method for manufacturing artificial marble]

(1) Materials for areas A, A, and B in Table 1 below were each measured.

(2) UPE resin and particles (sand) from the materials in area A were added to planetary mixer A and mixed at 60 rpm for 1 minute, then powder was added and mixed at the same rpm for 2 minutes. Area B was also mixed in the same way in planetary mixer B.

(3) In Examples 3 to 5 and Comparative Example 1, the mixture of materials in areas A and B was placed in planetary mixer A and rotated 5 times at a speed of 20 rpm to mix non-uniformly, and then sprayed onto a mold. In the case of Examples 1 and 2, the base and vane areas were separated by a partition without non-uniform mixing, and the area A mixture was sprayed onto the base area and the area B mixture was sprayed onto the vane area.

(4) In a vacuum-vibration-compression equipment, the mold was vibrated at 2,500 rpm for 15 seconds and 2,900 rpm for 45 seconds under the conditions of a vacuum of 5 mbar and a pressure of 2.5 bar, and then cured at 130°C on the upper plate and 130°C on the lower plate for 30 minutes.

(5) The leather finish process was performed using a Brush pad. Polishing was performed by going from a rough pad (low grit or water resistance) to a soft pad. Specifically, polishing was performed by going from a 36 grit Diamond brush, 36 grit Filiflex, 46 grit Filiflex, 60 grit Filiflex, 120 grit Airflex, 220 grit Airflex, and 300 grit Airflex with Filiflex and Airflex Antiquing Brush from Tenex. The RPM and pressure of the polishing machine were 750 RPM and 1/2 bar, respectively.

[Evaluation method]

A. 10 points average roughness

Surface roughness (roughness) was calculated by setting a 3 cm reference line in two areas with different surface roughness, measuring the thickness with a micrometer at 0.2 mm intervals, and calculating the ten point median height.

B. Scratch resistance test

Measurements were made using Scratch Hardness Tester 413, 13196 Diamond tip from ERICHSEN.

C. Thickness difference

The average value of the thickness at three points spaced 1 cm apart on an imaginary straight line of 3 cm in length was measured.

Area A Area B 10-point average roughness (㎛) Nesratchetness
(N) Thickness difference
(㎛) Example 1 UPE 12 wt%, quartz particles 60 wt%,
Quartz powder 28wt% UPE 12wt%, quartz particles 60wt%, alumina powder 28wt% Area A: 25
Area B: 28 Area A: 1.4
Area B: 1.5 100 Example 2 UPE 12 wt%, quartz particles 60 wt%,
Quartz powder 28wt% UPE 12 wt%, quartz particles 18 wt%, quartz powder 8.4 wt%, aluminum particles 42 wt%, aluminum powder 19.6% Area A: 25
Area B: 100 Area A (1.4N)
Area B (0.9N) 400 Example 3 UPE 12 wt%, quartz particles 60 wt%,
Quartz powder 28wt% UPE 12 wt%, aluminum particles 60 wt%,
28 wt% quartz powder, Area A: 25
Area B: 140 Area A (1.4N)
Area B (1.0N) 350 Example 4 UPE 12 wt%, quartz particles 60 wt%,
Quartz powder 28wt% UPE 12wt%, quartz particles 32wt%, ATH particles 28wt%, quartz powder 28wt% Area A: 25
Area B: 110 Area A (1.4N)
Area B (1.1N) 220 Example 5 UPE 12 wt%, quartz particles 60 wt%,
Quartz powder 28wt% UPE 12wt%, quartz particles 60wt%, ATH powder 28wt% Area A: 25
Area B: 30 Area A (1.4N)
Area B (0.9N) 280 Comparative Example 1 UPE 12 wt%, quartz particles 60 wt%,
Quartz powder 28wt% UPE 12%,
60 wt% quartz particles,
Quartz Powder 28wt% Area A: 25
Area B: 25 Area A (1.4N)
Area B (1.4N) 0

Comparative Example 1 had the same 10-point average roughness and scratch resistance by using the same composition in areas A and B. However, in Examples 1 and 5 including inorganic powder having lower hardness in area B than in area A, Examples 3 and 4 including inorganic particles having lower hardness in area B than in area A, and Example 2 including inorganic particles and inorganic powder having lower hardness in area B than in area A, the 10-point average roughness, scratch resistance, and thickness were different between areas A and B, so that a texture close to natural stone could be implemented. Surface photographs of the artificial marble manufactured in Examples 1 to 3 are shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, respectively.

Claims (22)

An artificial marble comprising a first composition comprising a first binder resin, a first inorganic particle, and a first inorganic powder; and a second composition comprising a second binder resin, a second inorganic particle, and a second inorganic powder.
At least one surface of the artificial marble includes at least two regions among a region provided with the first composition, a region provided with the second composition, and a region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, and at least one of surface roughness, scratch resistance, and thickness of each region is different.
The first inorganic particle and the second inorganic particle each include at least one selected from quartz, alumina, aluminum hydroxide and aluminum,
The first inorganic powder and the second inorganic powder each include at least one selected from quartz, alumina, glass, aluminum hydroxide and aluminum,
An artificial marble wherein the second inorganic particles include inorganic particles having a difference in hardness of 1 to 4 from the first inorganic particles; or the second inorganic powder includes inorganic powder having a difference in hardness of 1 to 4 from the first inorganic powder; or the second inorganic particles include inorganic particles having a difference in hardness of 1 to 4 from the first inorganic particles, and the second inorganic powder includes inorganic powder having a difference in hardness of 1 to 4 from the first inorganic powder. An artificial marble according to claim 1, wherein the first composition and the second composition each include a mixed composition in which two or more types of binder resins, two or more types of inorganic particles, or two or more types of inorganic powders are mixed. delete An artificial marble according to claim 1, wherein the second inorganic particles include inorganic particles having a difference in hardness of 1 to 4 from the first inorganic particles, and inorganic particles having the same hardness as the first inorganic particles. An artificial marble according to claim 1, wherein the first inorganic particle includes an inorganic particle having a difference in hardness of 1 to 4 from the second inorganic particle, and an inorganic particle having the same hardness as the second inorganic particle. delete An artificial marble according to claim 1, wherein the second inorganic powder includes an inorganic powder having a difference in hardness of 1 to 4 from the first inorganic powder, and an inorganic powder having the same hardness as the first inorganic powder. An artificial marble according to claim 1, wherein the first inorganic powder includes an inorganic powder having a difference in hardness of 1 to 4 from the second inorganic powder, and an inorganic powder having the same hardness as the second inorganic powder. An artificial marble according to claim 1, wherein the mixing degree of the components included in the first composition and the mixing degree of the components included in the second composition are each higher than the mixing degrees of the first composition and the second composition. An artificial marble according to claim 1, wherein the components included in the first composition are in a uniformly mixed state, the components included in the second composition are in a uniformly mixed state, and the first composition and the second composition are in a non-uniformly mixed state. delete An artificial marble according to claim 1, wherein the hardness of the first and second inorganic particles is 3 to 7, respectively. delete delete An artificial marble according to claim 1, wherein the hardness of the first and second inorganic powders is 3 to 7, respectively. delete An artificial marble according to claim 1, wherein the first binder resin and the second binder resin are the same as or different from each other, each containing 90 wt% or more of an unsaturated polyester resin, and the unsaturated polyester resin comprises a composition containing an unsaturated polyester polymer and a vinyl monomer in a weight ratio of 100:30 to 70, or a cured product thereof. An artificial marble according to claim 1, wherein the first composition and the second composition each contain 500 to 700 parts by weight of inorganic particles and 200 to 400 parts by weight of inorganic powder per 100 parts by weight of binder resin. An artificial marble according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 to 10, 12, 15, 17, and 18, wherein the area provided with the first composition and the area provided with the second composition are a base and a pattern, respectively. A step of preparing a first composition comprising a first binder resin, first inorganic particles and a first inorganic powder; and a second composition comprising a second binder resin, second inorganic particles and second inorganic powder;
A step of curing the first composition and the second composition; and
Step of surface finishing the first and second compositions cured by a leather finish method
, and at least one surface of the artificial marble includes at least two regions among a region provided with the first composition, a region provided with the second composition, and a region where the first composition and the second composition are mixed, and at least one of surface roughness, scratch resistance, and thickness of each region is different.
The first inorganic particle and the second inorganic particle each include at least one selected from quartz, alumina, aluminum hydroxide and aluminum,
The first inorganic powder and the second inorganic powder each include at least one selected from quartz, alumina, glass, aluminum hydroxide and aluminum,
A method for manufacturing an artificial marble according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 to 10, 12, 15, 17, and 18, wherein the second inorganic particles include inorganic particles having a hardness difference of 1 to 4 from the first inorganic particles; or the second inorganic powder includes inorganic powder having a hardness difference of 1 to 4 from the first inorganic powder; or the second inorganic particles include inorganic particles having a hardness difference of 1 to 4 from the first inorganic powder, and the second inorganic powder includes inorganic powder having a hardness difference of 1 to 4 from the first inorganic powder. A method for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 20, further comprising a step of mixing or patterning the first composition and the second composition before or during the step of curing the first composition and the second composition. A method for manufacturing artificial marble according to claim 20, wherein the leather finish method is performed using a brush pad.