Dorfner-Firmengruppe

Dorfner composite materials for the kitchens and bathrooms of the future

New degrees of freedom in design

Modern bathroom worlds and an aesthetically pleasing kitchen ambience demand new materials. They must not only stand out from conventional materials like ceramics and stainless steel in terms of their appearance and what they feel like to the touch, but above all these new materials have to open up new degrees of freedom for designers: for new shapes, for a new expression. Composite materials, the perfect blend of high-performance plastics and minerals, are the ideal technical solution for casting resins and the perfect way to open up new horizons in terms of form and design for discerning sanitaryware and kitchen design.

Adding strength to composite materials

Dorfner is an unrivalled innovator and development partner in the field of minerals for composite materials for use in modern kitchen and bathroom objects. Our quartz sand DORSILIT® provides the ultimate stable framework for composite materials. For sanitaryware and kitchen objects, this is what gives them their internal strength and durability, for example through resistance to scratches or chemical influences. DORSILIT® is very hard - in fact, after diamonds it is one of the hardest substances in existance. Embedded in the matrix of the plastic, our round quartz grain absorbs the impact of the forces which are generated, for example, when a sharp kitchen knife is pressed into the soft plastic. In addition, DORSILIT® (along with all of our other products which are based on this trademarked quartz) is so chemically inert that even foodstuffs with intensive coloring properties - such as red wine, coffee, tee or mustard - produce no discoloration at all.

Strong colors for the designs of tomorrow

Under the brand umbrella of GRANUCOL® we bring color and clever designs into bathroom and kitchen worlds. The basis is once again our quartz sand, which we coat with a ceramic glaze which contains coloring pigments. GRANUCOL® colored sands are renowned for their diversity of colors, color fastness and color fidelity. Even harsh UV light will not fade these colors. We also have a special treat for designers up our sleeves: our color laboratory, where we develop attractive new colors and trendy designs for our customers.

Perfection in composites through compatibility

Material specialists will also take great delight in DORSILIT® and the related colored products GRANUCOL®-SIG/SIL, GRANUCOL®-DURA/SIL and GRANUCOL®-FFB/SIL. The reason: the surfaces of these materials have been modified (silanized) in such a way that they form a perfectly harmonized bond with the plastic. Normally quartz loves water - it is hydrophilic. We turn this around by allowing substances which perform a mediator function to dock onto the surface of the quartz. This reacts with the plastic and forms the most perfect bond between polymer and material. The result is a composite material which is highly durable and resistant - and therefore perfect for sanitaryware and kitchen objects which will provide consumers with many years of satisfaction.