Investigation of the effects of quartz filler on mechanical properties of engineered stones with different resin/filler ratios.

Engineered stones, made by bonding crushed stone such as quartz marble with an adhesive such as polymeric resin, are composites designed to create durable surfaces. In this field, while studies on stones containing different fillers exist, there is not much research available on how to maximize mechanical performance from a quartz filler/resin ratio. This study investigates the effect of using different proportions of powder filler and resin on the mechanical properties of engineered stones. Initially, void tests were conducted on engineered stone samples containing quartz grains with sizes between 212 and 500 µm. The resin and filler ratios in the mixture were determined to be 45-60% and 55-40% by volume, respectively. However, in the experiments conducted based on these values, the voids were not completely filled with filler and resin. Subsequently, new measurements were made by increasing the quartz filler ratio by 5%, 10%, and 15%. Various properties of the samples produced in this manner, such as surface morphology, flux resistance, apparent density, and water absorption percentage, were analyzed. SEM analysis revealed that pores closed due to increasing the filler and resin ratios. Furthermore, the decrease in water absorption and the increase in flexural strength and apparent density are among the important results of this study. The highest flexural strength value of 70 MPa was obtained in a sample containing 56% resin and 44% filler. The density in this sample was 2.32 kg/m3 and the water absorption obtained as 2.002%.