Silica-free Surfaces of the Future
CASTELLO DI GODEGO, Italy — Breton S.p.A., driven by its pioneering instinct, continues expanding its range of products and technologies made available to its clientele to meet today and tomorrow’s needs, putting health and safety first.
Stefano ZeggioBreton’s focus on innovation has led to the development of new industry-leading materials with high technical performance that are totally free of crystalline silica: Bioquartz® and Lapitec®.
“Breton’s main goal is to provide innovative and alternative solutions that avoid the need for companies to undergo complex procedures when processing materials containing silica and better protect their workers’ health” explains Stefano Zeggio, head of new materials development (and chemical technologies at the Breton Institute of Technology (BIT).
Silica, or silicon dioxide, can exist in three main crystalline forms in nature: quartz, tridymite and cristobalite. These crystalline forms are contained in many natural materials, such as granites, porphyries, quartzites and sandstones, but also in various ‘industrial’ materials, such as engineered stones and ceramics.
“Breathable crystalline silica dust, generated by a manufacturing process” has been included among the materials classified as carcinogenic, as enshrined in EU Directive 2017/2398 transposed by Legislative Decree of 1 June 2020 no. 44 with entry into force last 24 June 2020. According to the European Directive, the exposure limit for crystalline free silica for a worker (CAS 14808-60-7) is 0.1 mg/m³ breathable fraction in an 8-hour reference period. This threshold may be further reduced depending on the country and its legislation.
Editor’s note: In the United States, workplace regulations from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requires an assessment of employee exposures to silica if it may be at or above an action level of 25 µg/m3 (micrograms of silica per cubic meter of air), averaged over an 8-hour day, and protect workers from respirable crystalline silica exposures above the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 µg/m3, averaged over an 8-hour day.
Minerals and stones containing crystalline silica, as well as finished products made from them, pose absolutely no health risk to end users. On the other hand, the people at risk of contracting silica related diseases are those working in the production and processing of these materials, which can become dangerous if they are reduced to fine dust and inhaled consistently over a long period of time.
The most-common disease caused by prolonged inhalation of these silica dusts is silicosis, which in severe cases, may cause irreparable damage to the pulmonary system.
Breton maintains their commitment to perfecting technologies and production processes in the natural-stone and composite-stone industry, respecting the environment and the health and safety of people who work in this industry alongside us.
All Breton equipment and machines work with ideal water flows which drastically reduce the dispersion of fine dust into the environment, complying with the most-stringent limits imposed by regulations.
In addition, operators of machines and systems are provided with appropriate instructions and operating solutions for cleaning the workplace, including through the use of extraction systems, which are essential to prevent the dispersion of dust containing crystalline silica into the environment, and where this is not possible, the use of appropriate filtering mask is recommended.
Breton, aware of the fact that for some there is little concern for environmental health, has gone even further.
“The latest innovation of BIT is Bioquartz®, a material without crystalline silica produced by melting common mineral sands, including those from industrial process residues, at approx. 1500° C,” Zeggio says.
The easy availability of these minerals makes it possible to significantly reduce the pollution caused by transporting ground quartz. Ground quartz is obtained by crushing boulders from quarries, mainly concentrated in India and Turkey. The minerals used to produce Bioquartz® come from sand deposits, which are widespread throughout the world and involve easier and more sustainable production.
“Bioquartz® can be produced in Super White and semi-transparent colors without quantity limits,” Zeggio explains, “making it the perfect alternative to the siliceous sands used in the manufacturing of engineered stone, as it enables a final product with high technical, mechanical and aesthetic characteristics.”
The surfaces produced with Bioquartz® are completely free of crystalline silica, making them totally safe to work with. Such surfaces are easily processed with traditional laboratory machines, while the operator can be assured of their health.
Breton Headquarters, Castello di Godego, ItalyAfter years of intense research and development, Breton recently designed and installed a state-of-the-art industrial plant for the production of Bioquartz®, with the aim of offering its customers the possibility of carrying out the first industrial tests to obtain silica-free surfaces.
Lapitec®, another new development coming from BIT, is the fulfillment of the dream of Breton founder Cav. Marcello Toncelli, who back in 1989 wanted to “evolve the elegance and naturalness of stone with innovative technological performance.”
Lapitec® is a mineral material that is 100% natural throughout its mass, and recognized in the design world for reinterpreting cladding, flooring, spas, swimming pools, kitchen tops, yachts and bathrooms.
A story born from a pioneering idea attentive to environmental sustainability. Lapitec® is entirely free of resins or petroleum derivatives in its composition, and has no digital prints on the surface that aim to achieve imitative effects of natural stone.
Lapitec® is created using an exclusive technology involving 25 patents. This is a compaction process using vibro-compression under vacuum and subsequent high temperature sintering in which pure mineral grains, free of crystalline silica, are aggregated together without the use of binding resins.
These solutions demonstrate Breton’s constant commitment to developing and promoting alternative, cutting-edge technologies to meet the needs of the world market, which is increasingly focused on environmental sustainability and health protection.
