Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Germany and visit BassTech’s newest partner, Dorfner Products. Dorfner is one of Europe’s oldest producers of Kaolin products, Quartz Sand, Colored Quartz Sand, and Engineered Filler Systems. The mining operation is based on an ancient mineral deposit of quartz and Kaolin in the heartland of Bavaria, which endows the sands with some very unique natural properties separating them from the rest of the world. Additionally, Dorfner has a talented and experienced R&D team to further process the sands and add to the uniqueness. Their lab has been innovating for over fifty years in terms of grain size distribution, hi-tech coloring, optimized filling capabilities, and stunning visual effects in decorative flooring.
Quartz is not rare; in fact, it is one of the more common minerals on Earth. However, as I trekked through the mining operation, I learned it was not your average sandbox. We here in New Jersey are used to secondary deposit sands, which means the sand has been moved by forces such as water or wind (like the Jersey Shore). These forces usually leave sand very rounded, with generally poor mechanical properties. Use of this sand also requires crushing the quartz, which leads to very angular and sharp-ended quartz granules that will not flow well in flooring and coating applications. In contrast, Dorfner sits atop a very old primary deposit of quartz. This quartz sand has not been rounded by natural forces and has a spheroid shape available in a wide range of sizes, so after simple sieving there are no sharp edges. It offers an excellent compromise of mechanical strength and ease of application.
The engineering touch is applied in grain size mixing, coloring, and even in additives. Dorfner’s innovative R&D team has developed some incredible products including PU Resin Coated Colored Quartz Sands, Hydrophobic Quartz Sands, Dust-Free Filler Systems, Conductive Flooring Systems, and even non-quartz based Polyester decorative flooring systems that can be laid right over existing flooring. The right combination of natural properties and technical know-how make this not your average sand.