Project Description

Technological tests

Contact person: Pietro Bruzzi – bruzzi@centroceramico.it – Mobile: +39 340 6885491

Agglomerated stone materials

  • Determination of dimensional stability EN 14617-2 (only thicknesses ≥ 12 mm)
  • Coefficient of linear thermal expansion ASTM C 531
  • Determination of flexural strength (bending) EN 14617-2
  • Determination of apparent density and water absorption EN 14617-1
  • Determination of dimensions EN 14617-16
  • Surface quality EN 14617-16
  • Determination of the abrasion resistance EN 14617-4
  • Determination of freeze and thaw resistance EN 14617-5
  • Determination of thermal shock resistance EN 14617-6
  • Determination of impact resistance EN 14617-9
  • Determination of chemical resistance EN 14617-10
  • Determination of linear thermal expansion coefficient EN 14617-11
  • Determination of compressive strength EN 14617-15
  • Determination of chemical resistance EN 14617-10 (visual examination – up to 3 staining agents)
  • Determination of the slip resistance by means of the pendulum tester EN 14231

Granulated tiles for external use (terrazzo tiles)

  • Dimensions EN 13748-2§5.2.1
  • Thickness EN 13748-2§5.2.2
  • Straightness of edges EN 13748-2§5.3
  • Surface flatness EN 13748-2§5.4
  • Bending strength and breaking load EN 13748-2§5.5
  • Abrasion resistance EN 13748-1§5.6
  • Slip resistance EN 13748-2§5.7
  • Water absorption EN 13748-2§5.8

Granulated tiles for internal use (terrazzo tiles)

  • Dimensional deviation EN 13748-1§5.1
  • Straightness of edges EN 13748-1§5.3
  • Surface flatness EN 13748-1§5.4
  • Bending strength and breaking load EN 13748-1§5.5
  • Abrasion resistance EN 13748-1§5.6
  • Slip resistance EN 13748-1§5.7
  • Water absorption EN 13748-1§5.8

Natural stones

  • Flexural strength EN 12372
  • Water absorption EN 13755
  • Water absorption by capillarity EN 1925
  • Initial rate of water absorption UNI EN 772-11
  • Determination of real density and apparent density, and of total and open porosity EN 1936
  • Abrasion resistance EN 14157 – Metodo A
  • Abrasion resistance EN 1341-C
  • Compressive strength EN 1926
  • Compressive strength UNI EN 772-1
  • Slip resistance EN 14231
  • Slip resistance EN 1341-D
  • Slip resistance EN 1342-C
  • Dimensions, planarità e ortogonalità EN 772-16, EN 772-20, EN 13373
  • Dimensions EN 1341-A
  • Thickness EN 1341-A
  • Straightness EN 1341-A
  • Surface quality EN 1341
  • Surface quality EN 12057
  • Surface quality EN 1469
  • Frost resistance EN 12371 MET. A
  • Modulus of rupture of dimension stone – ASTM C99
  • Compressive strength of dimension stone – ASTM C170
  • Absorption and bulk specific gravity of dimension stone – ASTM C97
  • Flexural strength of dimension stone – ASTM C880
  • Determination of resistance to ageing by thermal shock EN 14066

Slabs and natural stones for discontinuous roofing and external cladding

  • Determination of the flexural strength EN 12326-2§10
  • Determination of the water absorption EN 12326-2§11
  • Determination of the frost resistance EN 12326-2§12
  • Thermal cycle test EN 12326-2§16
  • Thickness of the bundled slates EN 12326-2§8.1
  • Thickness of the single slates EN 12326-2§8.2
  • Length and width EN 12326-2§5
  • Straightness of sides EN 12326-2§6
  • Rectangularity EN 12326-2§7

Chemical analysis and radioactivity

Contact person: Andrea Bernasconi – bernasconi@centroceramico.it – Mobile: +39 345 8410333

Chemical analysis by ICP-OES UNI EN ISO 21587-1 and UNI EN ISO 21587-3

  • Clays and equivalent (9 determinations) P.F., SiO2, Al2O3, TiO2, Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, K2O, Na2O
  • Refractory materials and equivalent (9 determinations)

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) – Volatile Organic Compounds

  • Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in 250 L test emission chamber EN ISO 16000-9:2006

Radioactivity

  • External dose flow (surfaces) by g-spectrometer
  • Radiometric analysis with report (Pv)
  • Radon emanation

Surface texture characterisation; colour, reflectance, gloss measurements

Contact person: Barbara Mazzanti – mazzanti@centroceramico.it – Mobile: +39 340 9631182

Colour and reflectance measurements

  • Determination of the average solar reflectivity and measurement of solar reflectance index (SRI) ASTM E 903-12 and ASTM E 1980-11
  • Determination of Light Reflectance Value (LRV) ASTM C 609-20
  • Determination of Light Reflectance Value (LRV) AS 1428.1:2009, App. B
  • Determination of Light Reflectance Value (LRV) BS 8493:2008 + A1:2010
  • Determination of thermal emittance ASTM C 1371-15
  • Transmittance, reflectance or absorbance spectra
  • Determination of solar absorptance ASTM E903-12 and EN 410-11:2011 (E)
  • Colour coordinates
  • Brilliance measurement (GLOSS)

Surface roughness and texture

  • Surface roughness measurement; determination of the parameters EN ISO 4287
  • 3D surface profile and/or imaging
  • Surface mapping
  • Data processing and 3D images of the surface

Mineralogical and microstructural characterisation, functional performance (thermal conductivity, photocatalysis, antibacterial, …)

Contact persons:

XRD analysis

  • XRD analysis (with or without interpretation)
  • Quantitative XRD

Microscopic analysis

  • SEM observation
  • EDS Microanalysis
  • Stereomicroscope observation
  • Optical microscope observation
  • Images
  • Quantitative microscopic analysis (porosity and pore/grain size distribution, etc.

Thermal conductivity (direct or indirect measurement from thermal diffusivity and specific heat)

Photocatalysis and resistance to mould, bacteria; cleanability and durability

  • Photocatalysis tests (internal protocol, ISO 10678, ISO 22197, …)
  • Antibacterial tests for photocatalytic surfaces (internal protocol, ISO 27447, …) and non-photocatalytic surfaces (internal protocol, ISO 22196, …)
  • Determination of the resistance to mould colonisation for photocatalytic and non-catalytic surfaces (internal protocol, BS 5980)
  • Durability tests for surface treatments/finishes/functionalisation
  • Cleanability tests for photocatalitic or non-photocatalytic surfaces for internal or external environments (internal protocol, ISO 27448)

Thermal analysis, wettability, density

Contact person: Giovanni Ridolfi – ridolfi@centroceramico.it – Mobile: +39 345 9317030

Thermal analysis

  • Heating microscope
  • DTA up to 1200 °C
  • DTA up to 1200 °C and back
  • DTA up to 1500 °C
  • DTA up to 1500 °C and back
  • TG
  • TG + DTA and back
  • TG + DTA
  • Determination of linear thermal expansion coefficient EN 14617-11 (on agglomerated stone materials)

Determination of contact angle

Density

  • Determination of the density by helium pycnometer

Dilatometry

  • Thermo dilatometric analysis (fired) and coefficient of linear thermal expansion, heating up to 400 °C
  • Thermo dilatometric analysis (fired) and coefficient of linear thermal expansion, heating up to 1000 °C max
  • Thermo dilatometric analysis, heating ASTM E 228
  • Thermo dilatometric analysis, heating ASTM D 4535

Mechanical characterisation

Contact person: Barbara Mazzanti – mazzanti@centroceramico.it – Mobile: +39 340 9631182

Hardness

  • Vickers indentation
  • Hardness curve applying different loads