| Almost everybody who sees them loves them, | | | | grinding process employed here is one that involves |
| because they really tend to look good. They are | | | | ‘ulta-refinement.' |
| easy to maintain. And they are rather durable. | | | | After the quartz has been ground, the next step in |
| Obviously we are talking about quartz tiles, which we | | | | the process that leads to the production of quartz |
| are seeing more and more people opting for, | | | | tiles is to direct the now refined quartz into molds. |
| especially for their kitchen countertop tiling and similar | | | | Naturally, these molds need to be ones that look |
| applications. | | | | exactly like the desired tiles; keeping in mind that it is |
| Now while many people adore and love the said | | | | at this stage that the desired tiles are shaped up. |
| quartz tiles, one thing that never ceases to baffle | | | | Of course, just filling the molds with quartz powder |
| them is with regard to how they are made. It is easy | | | | won't give you a tile! The individual quartz particles, at |
| to empathize with this bewilderment, especially when | | | | this stage are too loose – each is on its own. |
| you take into consideration the way quartz occurs in | | | | What is required is a bonding medium, and that |
| nature (in cluster, rather than in block form). What | | | | usually comes in the form of resin. It is resin that is |
| this natural presentation of quartz means is that, | | | | responsible for joining the individual quartz particles, to |
| obviously, tiles can't be directly etched from it. A | | | | come up with a real quartz tile. |
| more involving process has to be initiated; to finally | | | | The quartz tile that we now have is one that is |
| come up with the greatly alluring quartz tiles. | | | | rather plain, following the simple grinding, molding and |
| As it turns out, the process via which the quart tile is | | | | joining of quartz particles with a medium like resin. |
| made starts with collection of the quartz. This step is | | | | What is next required is to give them color; seeing |
| not that hard, seeing that quartz is one of the most | | | | that one of the things that people tend to think very |
| abundant minerals in the world. Getting a hold of it, | | | | seriously about when purchasing tiles is color. So |
| then, shouldn't present too much of a problem; | | | | pigments are added to the quart particles that have |
| thought it is essential that the chosen sites for quartz | | | | been bonded using resin, ideally at the stage when |
| harvesting be ones where the quartz that is present | | | | they are still on the mold (during the bonding stage). |
| is of the pure form. | | | | The reason for doing this is so that the pigment that |
| Once the quartz that is to be used for making tiles | | | | is applied ends up being a natural part of the resultant |
| has been harvested, the next step in the process | | | | tile. |
| involves grinding it. There are specialized machines for | | | | It is after these steps, then, that we end up with |
| this. Quartz naturally presents in the form of already | | | | those highly alluring quartz tiles we so much love. |
| considerably fine crystals, which means that the | | | | |