Process for forming high-resistance slabs or tiles, intended for covering internal or external floors or walls

Abstract

The process includes the following stages: arranging a slab or tile exhibiting an in-view surface; arranging at least a slim support slab or support plate having a characteristic of possessing a thermal expansion coefficient which is greater than a thermal expansion coefficient of the slab or tile, the slim support slab or support plate exhibiting effective properties of tenacity and resistance to easy breakage thereof; gluing under heating the slab or tile onto the slim support slab or support plate, or vice versa, using a suitable glue for adhering to surfaces thereof to be glued; leaving an assembly thus obtained to cool down to an ambient temperature such that owing to a different thermal expansion coefficient (contraction), the slim support slab or support plate induces on the slab or tile, to which it is solidly glued, a state of compression starting from a lower surface thereof which is opposite the in-view surface.

1 . A process for realizing high-resistance slabs or tiles, destined for covering internal or external floors or walls, comprising following stages:
 arranging a slab or tile exhibiting an in-view surface;   arranging at least a slim support slab or support plate having a characteristic of possessing a thermal expansion coefficient which is greater than a thermal expansion coefficient of the first slab or tile, the slim support slab or support plate having good properties of tenacity and resistance to easy breakage thereof;   gluing under heating the slab or tile onto the slim support slab or support plate, or vice versa, using a suitable glue for adhering to surfaces thereof to be glued;   leaving an assembly thus obtained to cool down to an ambient temperature such that owing to a different thermal expansion coefficient (contraction), the slim support slab or support plate induces on the slab or tile, to which it is solidly glued, a state of compression starting from a lower surface thereof which is opposite the in-view surface.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the slab or tile is made of a ceramic material or a like material. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the at least a slim support slab or support plate is preferably made of a metal or a metal alloy. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the gluing under heating is performed at a higher temperature by a predetermined entity ΔT with respect to a normal in-situ temperature for the assembly once laid. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the gluing under heating of the first slab or tile on the slim support slab or support plate, or vice versa, comprises a spreading of a layer of adhesive on at least a surface of the two surfaces to be glued, followed by a pressing stage, during which pressing stage the first slab or tile is pressed, with a predetermined pressure, against the slim support slab or plate. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first slab or tile is a ceramic tile for floors or for coverings having a thickness of less than 4 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the slim support slab or support plate, preferably made of metal or a metal alloy, is made of steel and exhibits a thickness comprised between 0.25 mm and 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein the slim support slab or support plate, preferably made of metal or a metal alloy, is made of galvanized iron and exhibits a thickness comprised between 0.25 mm and 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the glue with which the first slab or tile is gluing under heating on the slim support slab or plate, or vice versa, is constituted by an acrylic resin, a polyurethane resin, a polyester resin or an epoxy resin. 
     
     
         10 . A high-resistance slab or a tile, comprising a slab or a tile exhibiting an in-view surface which is solidly constrained on a slim support slab or support plate provided with good properties of tenacity and resistance to easy breakage thereof, in such a way as to be subjected to a state of compression, starting from a lower surface opposite an in-view surface of the slab or tile, which state of compression is induced by the slim support slab or support plate which is solidly glued thereto.