Corian

Corian being engraved for signage.

Corian is the brand name for a solid surface material created by DuPont. It is composed of acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate. Corian can be thermoformed by heating it to 300°F (150°C), allowing unique shapes to be created. Its primary use is in kitchen countertops, bathroom vanity tops, and wall cladding in showers.

Due to its non-porous quality, Corian is approved for use in specialized environments, such as laboratories and hospitals. Corian's versatility allows it to be joined, shaped, and finished into a wide variety of products. It comes in more than 100 colors and patterns.

Corian is manufactured in two thicknesses: 6mm and 12mm. Cross-section cuts show consistent color and particulate patterning evenly distributed throughout the material. Nicks and scratches can be buffed out with a Scotch-Brite pad or orbital sander. In the fabrication process, joints can be made invisible by joining the relevant pieces with Corian's own color-matched two-part acrylic epoxy. The pieces are clamped tightly together in order to express any excess adhesive. After the adhesive dries, the area is sanded and polished to create a seamless joint.^[1]

Competitors

A competitor to the Corian brand is Meganite, which has a Class 1 or A fire rating for all 80 colors in 1/4", 1/2" and 3/4" thicknesses.

The LG Group markets its 100% acrylic solid surface under the LG HI-MACS brand, manufactured in Korea and in the United States, just outside Atlanta, Georgia. LG HI-MACS offers similar styles, quality, and colors as DuPont.

Polylac Holland BV markets its 100% polyester solid surface under the Marlan brand, manufactured in the Netherlands. Available in sheets of 6, 12, 18, 24mm thickness and large dimensions of 3670x1250mm. Marlan is also well-known because of the many cast shapes in about 50 different colours.

Other solid surface manufacturers include Samsung's Staron line, Wilsonart's Gibraltar solid surface, LivingStone Surfaces, made by US Surface Warehouse (USSW) in Texas, Durasolid, made in Spain, and Kerrock, made in Slovenia. Hanex, Brionne, and Bellassimo solid surface are other brand names, manufactured by Hanwha of South Korea. Cristalplant is a solid surface product manufactured in Italy. Durat is a similar product made in Finland, using 100% recycled plastics. It comes in a range of very vibrant colours, brighter than those of most other solid surfaces.

Avonite makes two types of solid surface, a polyester base, and an acrylic based material. Polyester allows for greater depth of color, as well as less visible scratch marks, but its lack of ATH filler makes it more brittle and only Class B fire rated, which may pose issues in commercial applications. Avonite claims the toughness of its filled polyester equals that of 100% acrylic.

Velstone solid surface materials were established in Castleblayney, Ireland in 1991. Velstone has a BS476 Part 6 Class 0 and BS476 Class 1 fire ratings. Most solid surfaces carry a Class 1 fire rating, except for the 100% polyesters, which carry a Class III fire rating.

References

1. ^ "Corian: 40 Years-40 Designers". DuPont Press Office. April 2007. http://www2.dupont.com/40_40/en_GB/press_room/DuPont_Corian_40Years_40Designers_eng.pdf. 

External links

• Official website