Pumice brick is a construction material. Although it is similar to briquette, it has a different structure and properties. It gives very successful results in sound and heat insulation. The usage area of this type of brick has been getting more and more widespread.
While making pumice brick, a special type of rock is used that is formed as a result of volcanic movements called pumice. Pumice is an effective insulation material despite its lightweight.
What is Pumice Brick?
The rock known as pumice is a special type formed as a consequence of volcanic movements. It is light, crystallized, spongy and porous. The use of pumice stone in buildings dates back to ancient times. However, it has become a building material with modern methods in the last century. Pumice stone is mined from different parts of the world. In Turkey, it is mostly extracted from the Eastern Anatolia and Central Anatolia regions. Pumice stone extracted from these areas is processed and becomes pumice.
Pumice is a building material that has become widespread recently. It can be preferred instead of brick or briquette. Pumice is a very light and quite durable building material. Due to the physical properties of the stone, it also offers a good insulation opportunity. It is also resistant to physical and chemical factors. Due to all these features, it is preferred more and more in construction.
Pumice Machine
First of all, how is pumice produced? Pumice is produced through a pumice machine. The first step of pumice production is the extraction of pumice stone from the mine. Then, the size of the large pumice stone is reduced by means of crusher plants. The small and cubic sized stone is now ready to be processed. And a mixture of crushed pumice stone, cement and water is prepared. The mixture obtained by mixing different amounts of raw material is transferred to the pumice machine. It is poured into molds in different shapes.
The mixture poured into the mold is subjected to vibration. The purpose of this step is to remove the air bubbles in the material. The brick becomes more solid and durable. At the end of the vibration process, the pumice has the desired shape. The material is left to dry and then the final product is obtained. The machines that perform all these processes are called pumice machines or pumice production plants.
Pumice Briquette
Pumice briquette is a building material made of pumice stone. Pumice briquettes are lighter than standard briquettes as well as higher strength and durability. Today, in parallel with the increasing demand for pumice by construction companies, the amount of pumice production is rising more and more
The desire of customers for pumice briquettes comes from the structure and characteristics of pumice stone. The features that distinguish the pumice briquette from other building elements are as follows:
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Lightweight
One of the important features that building materials should have is their lightness. It is essential in vertical architecture that buildings with high floors should be light. Because heavy materials are a disadvantage when measuring load carrying capacity in construction. The pumice briquette is light and strong.
– Good Insulation
The insulation properties of the materials used in construction are very important. One of the main purposes of buildings is to be independent of weather conditions. Pumice briquettes provide strong insulation with a high thermal insulation rate. This reduces the insulation costs of buildings. Thus, it provides a less costly and more effective insulation opportunity.
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Earthquake Resistant
Earthquakes are unfortunately a reality of the world we live in and thousands of people die every year due to earthquakes. Buildings must be strong and durable so that people are not harmed in natural disasters such as earthquakes. This depends on the robustness of the methods and materials used in the structures. Pumice is approximately 6 times more flexible than concrete. In this way, it shows higher resistance against sudden breakage and cracking.
– Natural Product
Pumice stone, which is the main material of Pumice briquettes, is a type of natural stone. Briquette pumice also preserves these natural properties. Therefore, it can trap water vapor (moisture) in the area. Also, it prevents the reproduction of microorganisms since it is a natural rock. It is a more environmentally friendly building material as it does not consume high energy during the production phase.