Porcelain vs Sintered Stone: A Material Comparison
The reason is because natural stone is porous and will readily absorb liquids.
However, porcelain and sintered stone are non-porous. The sintering process used on the materials in both sintered stone and porcelain produces a material that has no pores. Thus, these materials do not absorb liquid. In fact, the liquid stays on the surface and does not make its way into the stone.
Resilience to Cleaners
When a material is treated with a penetrating sealer, it adds a requirement in the daily cleaning of the surface. Not a particularly difficult challenge, but a challenge nonetheless. This requirement is that the material be cleaned with a pH neutral cleaner. As a result, natural stone must be cleaned using this type of cleaner. If an acidic cleaner is used, the sealer will be broken down and the benefits will be lost.
In contrast to natural stone, both porcelain and sintered stone, as we have previously stated, need no sealer so these materials do not require a pH neutral cleaner like others. In fact, porcelain and sintered stone are two materials that can be cleaned using a variety of cleaners. However, neither material is completely impervious to harm from certain chemicals. So, it is important to read and follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Contrasting Porcelain With Sintered Stone
Although both sintered stone and porcelain materials make use of the sintering process, They differ in a couple of important respects. First, the raw materials used are different. Second, the sintering process itself varies from one manufacturer to the next.
Different Raw Materials
One of the ways in which porcelain is different from sintered stone is that they begin with different raw materials. Porcelain makes use of raw materials like clay, silica, feldspar, and flint. On the other hand, sintered stone uses different raw materials. And although sintered stone may have material in common with those of porcelain, it has others that porcelain does not have. Does different raw materials really matter that much?
It might be hard for some to believe that the material used in the sintering process makes that much difference. But it does. In fact, we will elaborate on this point in a moment. But first, let’s look at our second area of difference.
Differing Forces During Sintering
We have already established what sintering is. However, it can be easy to overlook the details. The quote we mentioned at the beginning of our discussion mentioned that heat and pressure were involved in sintering. But how many ways are there to produce heat? Furthermore, in what ways can pressure be created? Still yet, are ther other forces that could be introduced to the sintering process to yield a different result?
You get the idea, right? Sintered stone consists of different forces and materials that does porcelain. In fact, the sintering protocol, recipe, or both vary from one sintered stone manufacturer to the next. That’s why we said earlier that each sintered stone manufacturer varies a bit with regard to their material.
What is the conclusion? First, porcelain and sintered stone are alike in that they are cared for and maintained similarly. Additionally, they are both durable and scratch resistant. But they differ in ingredients and in the specific processes through which each is produced. No matter which one you choose (if in fact you are trying to decide on one of these), following the guidance supplied by the manufacturer will give you the needed understanding to get the most form your countertop.
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