Glossary [19]
quartz: quartz (dioxide of crystalline silicon with chemical formula SiO2) is the most common mineral to be found on the earth's crust. It is the main component of many igneous and metamorphic rocks and is present in nature in a vast range of modifications and colours (transparent and colourless, transparent but dark, yellow, pink, red, orange, etc.). Amethyst is transparent quartz with a purple colour. Aventurine, amethyst, rock crystal, falcon's eye and tiger's eye are varieties of prized quarts. Quartz is a component of many materials used in floors like for example porphyry, marble, stoneware and ceramics.
quartz floors: for its low dilation co-efficient and its hardness quartz is used in the production of refractory materials, ceramic products, enamels for glass and porcelain, floors and coverings in quartz and with bohemian crystals.
quartz porphyry: porphyry consisting primarily of quartz.
quarzite: metamorphic rock composed principally of quartz and poor or completely free of mica.
resistance: characteristic of some materials to be long-lasting and resist any external agents and attrition. The characteristics which make a material resistant are force, duration and solidity. Some materials which are distinguished by their resistance are of hard stone, some types of rocks and some resins used in covering floors and in the production of decorative tiles.
