CAVAION VERONESE, ITALY - Part of the Alberti Group of stone companies in Northern Italy, the Alberti & Alberti marble plant has brought in state-of-the-art technology for its processing - including a new resin treatment for marble slabs.

The facility operates a full-scale resin-application plant from Breton S.p.A. of Italy, including an automated resin-application line with two large-scale driers as well as Levibreton polishing lines for honing as well as final polishing.

One of the latest developments in the factory is the use of Glaxs, a new resin technology from Tenax. Considering the fact that sun and heat tend to yellow resin-treated material - which can be particularly evident on white or other light-colored materials - Tenax’s R&D Department developed a new product that offers guaranteed long-term transparence. The Glaxs resin has undergone a series of aging tests according to ASTM standards. According to Tenax, these results have shown a strong yellowing of epoxy resins, while the Glaxs resin has confirmed resistance to yellowing with high transparency. The product also has low environmental impact, Tenax reports, as it contains no solvents, is not corrosive and does not release irritating fumes.

The Glaxs resin is applied in the same manner as a traditional resin - after the honing application is completed - and Alberti & Alberti uses it to reinforce white materials such as Rhino White from Africa.

When working with colored materials, Alberti & Alberti uses a range of colored polyester resins, primarily for filling the holes in travertine. The company also has a line for adding fiberglass reinforcement to the back of the slabs as needed - particularly for travertine and other porous stones.

The resin line can produce 10,750 square meters of material during an eight-hour shift, while the polishing line can process 13,000 to 14,000 square meters of material per shift. Among the factory’s export targets, the U.S. imports a percentage of Alberti & Alberti’s marble production.

Editor’s note: A full-length feature on the Alberti Group, including coverage of its marble and granite factories, will be published in the September 2010 issue of Stone World.