Corian

Corian is the brand name of a mineral - organic composite material DuPont, which was introduced into the market in 1967.

Material and processing properties

The material is about 66 % of its weight of gibbsite ( a bauxite -derived aluminum hydroxide modification ), approximately 33% of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA ) and from catalysts and other curing agents. It is consistently colored or provided with color pigments and is located in 72 colors before.

Outwardly, it resembles marble, but has a more closed surface finish, a lower thermal conductivity - Corian: 0.769 W / ( m · K ) ( similar to glass ) marble: 2.8 W / (m · K) - and resistance against diluted acids on. Unlike marble can be Corian milled with woodworking tools and cutting, but also deform three-dimensional thermally and connect seamlessly, which (integrated eg directly onto the tray surface, seamless sink) at its main processing in Sänitärbereich, in kitchens, laboratories and operating rooms ( seamless work surfaces for avoidance microbially contaminated dirt ) is employed. Business and sales rooms can be ( company logos etc. ) customization by thermal deformation of the material and appropriate color choice or inlay work. In the manufacture of jewelery and utensils Corian is glued to wood, metal or other plastics.

Design, architecture and artistic use

In addition to the purely functional processing of the material also allows for the artistic design of everyday objects and industrial designers such as Ross Lovegrove, Ingo Maurer, Philippe Starck, Jean Nouvel, Yves Béhar, Rosita Missoni and the architect Zaha Hadid have designed everyday objects and application of Corian. In order to develop further designs DuPont maintains design studios in Milan, New York, Philadelphia and Shanghai. As an example, the cladding of the Seeko'o Hotel in Bordeaux can serve 2007.

Students of Philadelphia University, College of Design, Corian used for the design of utility and furnishings that were issued in the fall of 2010 at the Philadelphia Center for Architecture.

In the artistic design, the range of applications of the commemorative plaque of the Birmingham Walk of Stars ranges (whose first winner Ozzy Osbourne in 2007 was ) on church altars and specially designed crosses (especially in the U.S.) restored to the engraved flower-like wall ornaments in the exhibition space Le Premier Versailles - Séjour de Fête et Plaisirs de (1624-1668) of the Chateau de Versailles.