《Exploring The Secret Of Marble: The Beauty Of Home Decoration① 》

                                                 "Exploring the Secrets of Marble: The Beauty of Home Decoration"
I. Definition and Types of Marble

(I) Natural Marble
Marble originally refers to white limestone with black patterns produced in Dali, Yunnan Province. Later, it developed into a name for all limestones with various colors and patterns for architectural decoration. Natural marble is mainly composed of calcite, limestone, serpentine and dolomite, of which calcium carbonate is its main component, accounting for more than 50%. Natural marble has the characteristics of fine and solid texture, mirror-like smoothness after polishing, more texture than granite, stretch and beauty.
Natural marble is divided into monochrome marble, cloud-gray marble, colorful marble and other types. Among them, white marble is one of the best quality marbles. It is a high-quality stone material, also known as "Oriental Marble". Because of its hard texture, delicate texture, pure color and natural color, it is widely used in architectural decoration, sculpture, furniture and other fields. The advantages of white marble include high hardness, beautiful color, beautiful texture, good smoothness and strong anti-fouling ability.
Natural marble slabs and special-shaped items are important materials for interior and furniture production. Its main features are: dense structure, natural texture, thick texture, easier maintenance and cleaning, longer service life; high hardness, good rigidity, not easy to crack and deform, good pressure resistance, wear resistance, and decorative properties; good stability, small linear expansion coefficient, small temperature deformation, uniform plane, and no magnetization; there are certain radioactive elements, but the content of radioactive elements is low, and naturally formed marble generally has color difference; physical stability, meticulous organization, grains fall off when impacted, and the quality can be guaranteed when used, the surface does not have burrs, and does not affect its plane accuracy. The material is stable and can ensure long-term non-deformation, small linear expansion coefficient, anti-magnetic, and insulation; the material particles are fine and uniform, the coarseness and fineness of the crystal grain size are ever-changing, and the texture patterns are various, such as snowflake type; soft texture, strong plasticity, belonging to medium hardness stone, with high compressive strength and good physical and chemical properties.
Natural marble with purer texture and less impurities can be used outdoors, such as white marble and wormwood green; while other varieties can only be used as indoor decorative materials. To identify natural marble, you can look at the texture. Each piece of natural marble has natural patterns and colors. Listen to the sound. Good quality stone has a crisp and pleasant sound when knocked. Test the light transmittance. Natural marble has high light transmittance. Shine a lighter or flashlight on the back of the marble. You can also drop a few drops of dilute hydrochloric acid. Natural marble will bubble violently, while artificial marble will bubble weakly or even not bubble at all.

(II) Artificial marble
Artificial marble is made of crushed natural marble or granite as filler. It has many styles, low cost and high hardness, but its color and texture are not as beautiful and natural as natural marble.
Artificial marble is made of unsaturated polyester resin as a binder, natural marble or granite crushed stone, quartz sand as filler, cement, gypsum and unsaturated polyester resin as adhesives, and then mixed, molded, ground and polished. The auxiliary materials of artificial marble include natural marble, glass powder, dolomite, calcite and other inorganic materials as powder, unsaturated polyester resin as adhesive, appropriate amount of flame retardant and dye, etc., which are mixed together and solidified by porcelain casting, vibration, compression, extrusion and other processes.
Artificial marble has rich patterns and colors, no radiation, better flexibility than natural marble, the connection gaps between the marbles are not obvious, and the overall appearance is firm. However, artificial marble also has disadvantages, such as generally low hardness, so it is particularly easy to scratch; because some chemical synthetic substances need to be added during the production process, these are harmful to the human body.
Artificial marble is mostly used in kitchens and bathrooms, and many are also used to make cabinets, floors, window sills, etc. When purchasing artificial marble, the polishing degree of qualified products is generally between 79 and 90, because 95% of the internal structure of artificial marble is natural marble powder, so the polishing degree is higher. Inferior products have a high resin content, generally exceeding 15%, so the surface looks old and dull; the compressive strength of qualified products is generally between 6500PSI and 13000PSI, and the flexural strength is between 1150PSI and 2300PSI. Inferior products cannot meet this standard because they contain too much resin. The direct identification method is to burn them with a lighter. If you can smell the burnt smell, it is an inferior product; look at the surface of artificial marble, the board surface color is consistent and there are no cracks. In simple terms, the surface is smooth and can reflect the shadow of a person; look at the color of artificial marble, the color of the sample should be uniform, pure and not turbid, the surface should not have a plastic-like texture, there are no small pores on the back of the board, and its interior and pores can also be seen from the side; smell the sample carefully, there should be no irritating chemical smell, touch the surface of artificial marble with your hand, the surface of the sample should be as smooth as silk, without astringency, and no obvious unevenness, scratch the surface of artificial marble with your fingernails, there are no obvious scratches, and two pieces of the same artificial marble knock against each other, it is not easy to break.

2. Characteristics of marble

(I) Advantages
Good wear resistance and long service life.
Natural marble has high hardness, strong wear resistance, uniform structure, not easy to deform, and a service life of more than 100 years. For example, rich people's homes are all covered with natural marble because of its high wear resistance. At the same time, the rock has been naturally aged for a long time, and its structure is stable, which can withstand daily wear and tear.
Good decorative performance, bright color and rich colors.
Marble has dots, lines, flakes, granules, etc., and there are many colors, such as Dandong green, Tieling red, snowflake white, and wormwood green, with a wide range of choices. Its appearance is grand, which can highlight the identity of the occupant and add a unique artistic effect to the interior decoration.
Non-conductive, non-magnetic, and stable field position.
Marble is not magnetized, can move smoothly during measurement, without stagnation, is not affected by moisture, and has good plane weighing. This feature makes it safe to use in some places that are sensitive to magnetic fields.
Widely used in industry.
Marble is also widely used in the industrial field due to its high hardness and good stability. For example, it can be used in building decoration materials, sculptures, furniture and other fields.
Jade has a strong texture, is not easy to deform, is not magnetized, has good wear resistance and a long service life.
Compared with other materials, marble is not easy to deform, has good wear resistance, and can maintain a good appearance after long-term use. Its jade texture is strong, giving people a noble and elegant feeling.

(II) Disadvantages
It is radioactive, and the darker the color, the greater the radiation.
Marble has certain radioactive elements. The content of radioactive elements in natural marble is low, but the content of radioactive elements in artificial marble is relatively high. Living in a high-radiation environment for a long time may cause potential harm to the human body, such as affecting the health of the reproductive system and inducing leukemia. However, as long as you choose products with reliable quality and meet safety standards, and keep the indoor air circulating, you can effectively reduce the impact of radiation on human health.
The anti-fouling ability is relatively poor, especially the resistance to oil and tea stains.
The main component of marble is calcium carbonate, which has low density and many pores inside, and it is easy to stain. For stains such as oil and tea stains, the anti-fouling ability is relatively poor and needs to be cleaned in time.