Acrylic solid surface. Review

Acrylic solid surface is a well-known material used for manufacturing tabletops, window sills, stairs, and other elements of furniture and indoor finishes. 

Resins, filling agent, and pigment dyes are used when producing acrylic solid surface. Acrylic resins act as a bonding agent. Mineral filler is responsible for the material’s hardness, and the pigment dyes ensure various decors and a wide color array of engineered quartz. Decor directly depends on the size and shape of the pigment particles, plus the larger the particles, the more expensive is the material.

Composition of acrylic solid surface is as follows: 60-70% of mineral filler, 40-30% of acrylic resins, less than 1% of pigment dyes.

Depending on the resins used in production, it is differentiated between acrylic solid surface and engineered polyester stone.

Content of certain types of resins in overall composition of engineered quartz directly affects its features. 

When exposed to high temperatures, acrylic solid surface can take the needed shape. Thermoforming allows creating items with round elements and swan-necks out of acrylic solid surface.

Engineered polyester stone does not bend, that is why it can only be used for producing items with straight forms.

Acrylic solid surface is a more expensive material. Some manufacturers strive to cut the cost of their products, replace part of acrylic resins with polyester resins. Even though it is possible to bend this type of engineered quartz after heating, its capabilities are severely limited.

Engineered polyester stone comprising only polyester resins does not bend.

In common terms all types of engineered quartz are called ‘acrylic solid surface’ with a remark of it bends or does not bend.

The growing popularity of using acrylic solid surface for manufacturing tabletops and other elements of furniture, as well as for interior designs is explained by its great consumer appeal.

1. Acrylic solid surface’s structure is dense and homogenous without pores, microcracks, and voids. Due to this fact, surface is impervious to dirt, grease, moisture, and bacteria. That is why items made of engineered quartz are so healthy.
2. It is easy to remove any pollutions and stains from the acrylic solid surface’s imporous surface, even if these are stubborn stains from tea, colored juices, coffee, ink, red wine, brilliant green.
3. Acrylic solid surface is a highly wear-resistant, robust, and durable material. 
4. Seams and joints in the products made of acrylic solid surface are invisible to the eye and indistinguishable to the touch. A large and complicated structure assembled from separate pieces of stone seems solid.
5. It is exactly the possibility to seamlessly join pieces of acrylic solid surface, which makes this material very cost-effective – it is possible to make good use of the small pieces and of what is left after material has been cut.
6. Items made of acrylic solid surface are easy to repair – occasional scratches are easy to remove by polishing the surface at home. 
7. A giant color array of acrylic solid surface provides vast selection for interior design.

Acrylic solid surface is delivered in sheets. Many brands offer several options of polish to the sheets: matt, semiglossy, and glossy.

Products of every manufacturer are divided into separate collections (lines). As a rule, one collection combines engineered quartz with similar decor and belonging to the same price tier.

Some manufacturers produce both pure acrylic solid surface and engineered quartz containing polyester resins. These products are brought to the market either with different trademarks or as separate collections of the same brand.

Majority of high-quality acrylic solid surface is being manufactured in South Korea. It is also manufactured in China, Europe and USA.

Let us have a look at the most popular brands of acrylic solid surface.

Manufacturer: Lion Chemtech Co. Ltd

Country of production: South Korea

Produced by the company Lion Chemtech using new production lines. Grandex’s composition includes exclusively acrylic resins, which ensure that thermoforming is possible.

Grandex has following collections:

Pure Color (P) 

Sand and Sky (S) 

Delicious Edition (D) 

Adventure (A) 

Jewel (J) 

Explorer (E) 

Marble Ocean (M)

Grandex sheets are delivered with following dimensions:

Manufacturer: DuPont

Country of production: USA

Corian is acrylic solid surface invented by the company DuPont in 1966.

Corian sheets are delivered with following dimensions:

Manufacturer: Samsung Cheil Industries Inc

Country of production: South Korea

It is a popular acrylic solid surface with high quality and vast color array.

Staron has following collections:

Solid 

Sanded 

Aspen 

Pebble 

Metallic 

Quarry 

New Mosaic 

Tempest 

The Tempest collection is positioned by the manufacturer as a separate trademark Tempest.

Staron and Tempest sheets are delivered with following dimensions:

Manufacturer: Lion Chemtech Co. Ltd

Country of production: South Korea

Tristone brand appeared in 2002. It is a popular high-quality acrylic solid surface.

Tristone has following collections:

Modern 

Classical 

Renaissance 

Romantic 

Baroque 

Romanesque 

Byzantine 

Tristone sheets are delivered with following dimensions:

Manufacturer: LG

Country of production: South Korea

Hi-Macs has following collections:

Solid 

Granite 

Volcanics 

Lucent 

Galaxy 

Marmo 

Quartz 

Sand&Pearl 

Hi-Macs sheets are delivered with following dimensions:

Manufacturer: DuPont

Country of production: China

Montelli is a cheaper (when compared to Corian) engineered quartz manufactured by DuPont in China.

Montelli has 2 product lines Montelli Basic (does not bend) and Montelli Ultra (can be bent).

Montelli sheets are delivered with following dimensions:

Manufacturer: Westag&Getalit AG

Country of production: Germany

Acrylic solid surface of European descent. 

GetaCore sheets are delivered with following dimensions:

Manufacturer: Guangzhou Relang Industrial Co.

Country of production: China

Engineered quartz Magicstone (China) is being sold in Russia under the brand Akrilika. 

Two product lines represent engineered quartz: thermoformable and non-thermoformable engineered quartz.

Akrilika sheets are delivered with following dimensions:

Manufacturer: Hanwha Group

Country of production: South Korea

Acrylic solid surface by Hanex belongs to following collections:

Solo 

Magic 

Duo 

Trio 

Cubic 

Pearl 

Galleria 

Therapy 

Clittering 

Belassimo 

Brionne 

Brionne Metallic 

Nativo 

Hanex sheets are delivered with following dimensions:

Manufacturer: Kolpa

Country of production: Slovenia

Acrylic solid surface by Kerrock belongs to following collections:

Uni 

Granite 

Teraco 

Lumino 

Luminaco 

Marble 

Market of acrylic solid surface in Poland is growing with every year. Engineered quartz is now replacing materials traditionally used for manufacturing furniture, for tabletops in ready-made kitchens and bar counters, sinks and kitchen wash basins, and for window sills and decorative wall panels as well. 

Field of use of acrylic solid surface covers residential premises and public buildings.

Excellent balance between the cost and rewarding performance of acrylic solid surface, huge color palette, decors imitating natural stone pattern, uncomplicated fabrication technology and limitless possibilities for design solutions – all these factors will contribute to further growth of the acrylic solid surface’s popularity.