Reconstituted stone panel (15mm, 20mm, 30mm, 40mm)
Quartz-rich composite panels with resin binders (typically 7-15% resin) that deliver low water absorption and high strength. In Australia, engineered stone benchtops/panels/slabs with at least 1% crystalline silica are banned from 1 July 2024 (legacy work only).
Quartz-rich composite panels with resin binders (typically 7-15% resin) that deliver low water absorption and high strength. In Australia, engineered stone benchtops/panels/slabs with at least 1% crystalline silica are banned from 1 July 2024 (legacy work only).
Reconstituted stone panels (often called engineered stone or quartz composite) are manufactured slabs made from crushed stone aggregates bound with a resin or cement matrix, supplied in 15 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, and 40 mm thicknesses. Quartz-based engineered stone typically contains about 7-15% resin with 85-93% quartz by mass (product dependent), giving a dense, low-porosity panel with high mechanical performance. In Australia, engineered stone benchtops, panels, and slabs containing at least 1% crystalline silica are prohibited from manufacture, supply, processing, and installation from 1 July 2024 under the model WHS Regulations; exclusions include concrete/cement products and porcelain or sintered stone without resin.
- Uniform appearance and consistent properties
- Low water absorption (≤0.05%)
- High scratch resistance (Mohs 6-7)
- Chemical resistance to household acids
- Minimal maintenance requirements
- Wide color and pattern range
- Non-porous surface inhibits bacterial growth
- Dimensional stability when properly installed
- 01 Uniform appearance and consistent properties
- 02 Low water absorption (≤0.05%)
- 03 High scratch resistance (Mohs 6-7)
- 04 Chemical resistance to household acids
- 05 Minimal maintenance requirements
- 01 BANNED in Australia from July 2024
- 02 Severe silicosis risk during fabrication
- 03 Contains combustible polyester resins
- 04 Fails AS 1530.1 combustibility requirements
- 05 Limited fire resistance rating
- Density
- 2000-2450 kg/m3 Quartz-based engineered stone (product dependent).
- Specific gravity
- 2.1-2.7
- Porosity
- <0.5% %
- Water absorption
- 0.10 max % by mass Quartz-based engineered stone.
- Hardness
- up to 7 Mohs Quartz-based engineered stone.
- UV resistance
- Poor - unsuitable for direct sunlight except special formulations
- Chemical resistance
- Good for pH 3-10, etching above pH 10
- pH tolerance
- pH 3-10 optimal range
- Surface roughness
- Ra 0.02-0.1 μm (polished finish) µm
- Tensile strength
- 8-15 MPa (estimated) MPa
- Compressive strength
- 150-250 MPa Quartz-based engineered stone.
- Flexural strength
- 40-65 MPa Quartz-based engineered stone (product dependent).
- Shear strength
- 12-18 MPa (estimated) MPa
- Poisson's ratio
- 0.20-0.25
- Impact resistance
- 2-8+ J Quartz-based engineered stone; thickness dependent (12 mm vs 20-30 mm).
- Creep resistance
- Data not available - minimal expected
- Embodied carbon
- Estimated 25-40 kg CO₂-eq/m²
- Carbon footprint
- Higher than natural stone baseline 21.4 kg CO₂-eq/m²
- Embodied energy
- 150-250 MJ/m² MJ/kg
- Water footprint
- Data not available L/kg
- Recycled content
- 0-15% typical %
- Renewable content
- 0% %
- Circular score
- 2/10 (poor end-of-life options)
- Combustibility class
- Not classified to AS 1530.1 (see reaction-to-fire ratings) Reaction-to-fire ratings reported to ASTM E84 and EN 13501-1; AS 1530.1 combustibility classification depends on testing.
- Fire resistance level
- No FRL rating - combustible resin content
- Ignition temp
- Data not available °C
- Flame spread index
- ASTM E84 Class A Quartz-based engineered stone; reaction-to-fire reported as ASTM E84 Class A.
- Smoke dev. index
- ASTM E84 Class A Quartz-based engineered stone; reaction-to-fire reported as ASTM E84 Class A.
- Heat release rate
- Data not available
- Material cost (range)
- $400-1800/m² (thickness dependent)
- Material cost (per unit)
- 15mm: $520-750/m², 20mm: $400-1500/m², 30mm: $650-1200/m², 40mm: $800-1800/m²
- Lead time
- Not available - production ceased
- Lifecycle cost
- $535-775/m² over 25 years
- Annual maintenance
- $2-5/m² (cleaning), $15-30/m² (professional)
- Market availability
- Discontinued - banned from July 2024
- Expected lifespan
- 25-40 years (historical data)
- Maintenance interval
- Cleaning 6-12 months, sealing 3-5 years
- Warranty period
- 10-15 years typical (void after ban)