Glossary of Materials

GLASS

We are proud to quote FIAM ITALIA, whose summary of the story of glass is one of the most compelling we have found.

"Mystery over its origin and structure presents surprises and puzzling variations, even for the experts. According to the poet Pliny, glass was probably discovered by chance. Phoenician sailors came across the material by accident when they discovered vitreous material amongst the cinders of the fires they had lit along the beaches. A compound of melt silica and lime (both found in sand) is created by the primeval elements: earth, fire and the agents which produce sand itself - air and water."

There are many different types of glass, with technological processes ever-evolving to create new types and forms. Each manufacturer brings their own finite elements into the production processes that they use. Glass is one of the most hardwearing materials and endures the test of time. If he doesn't break, the glass is built for lasting forever. In many museums there are preserved glasses found thousands of years before Christ. (SICA DESIGN).

Acid-etched Glass

The surface of the glass is, literally, etched with acid to create a frosted finish that allows light through but without the translucence of clear glass. The glass is attachable only by some acids. The hydrofluoric acid is used to make decorations on the plates and to satin. The acid corrodes the surface provoking some micro porosity that gives origin to the acid etched effect. (Sica Design)

Curved Glass

The point of softening glass is 620°C. At this temperature the glass can be bent. The ideal temperature is the same for all types and thickness of glass. The tensions arise in the glass cooling phase, from 520°C to 450°C. It is necessary to respect the refreshing time and the cooling method and not lose heat suddenly.

The glass is a bad warm conductor: it is therefore important to allow the whole surface to refresh uniformly and slowly. The tensions are provoked in the point of contact with the mould, that being made of different materials from glass (steel and iron), becomes cold with different times. The object with tensions is once again put in the oven up to 520°, but without the mould. The cooling process is then repeated for the second time. The glass in tension is destined to break in a short time. With the re-cooking the residual tensions are definitely eliminated. (Sica Design)

Curved glass is the result of a challenge to chemico-physical laws, sprouting from a magic spark inside the bending chamber. Glass takes on plastic features, ready to be modelled by designers. (Fiam Italia)

Extra Clear / Extra Light Glass

The colour of the glass is due to the presence of mineral substances. The float has 0.10% content of iron oxide. Removing the 90% of this content makes it become extra-clear glass. However, to produce the extra-clarity it needs a selection of the silica at the origin, choosing more clear sands. Overall this glass has a low content of iron, enabling a clearer translucency than standard transparent glass and greatly reducing green/blue hues. Finite clarity depends on the manufacturer and production techniques employed.

Frosted Glass

The process of creating a "frosted" effect on the glass by sand-blasting or using acid to etch the finish.

Fibre Glass / Glass Fibre

Glass fibre reinforced polyester resin material is made using a technique known as pull-trusion. This is a continual process of glass fibre wires being pulled through a bath of polyester resin that harden in a matrix afterwards to get their final shape. Fibre-glass is strong, has corrosion-durability and is extremely light weight.

Lacquered Glass

Transparent glass is lacquered with colour on one side in order to create strong colour hues. The glass itself is not colour-pigmented, yet the overall effect is completely opaque.

Mirrored Glass

Typically this type of glass has a coating of silver or aluminium on its back, thus producing images by reflection. The chemical process of coating a glass surface with metallic silver was discovered by Justus von Liebig in 1835. This ground-breaking advance inaugurated the modern techniques of mirror making. Today, mirrored glass is made by adding a thin layer of molten aluminium or silver onto the back of a plate of glass in a vacuum.

Murano Glass

Made on the Island of Murano, in Venice, this historic glass imparts hundreds of years of glassblowing tradition. Many highly prized objects have been created thanks to the oral history of a practice that has been passed from generation to generation.

Painted Glass

This type has the same qualities as lacquered glass in that it is painted on one side to create an opaque colour. The glass itself is not colour-pigmented.

Polished edge

The edge of the glass has been polished to create a smooth feel. This is particularly important when buying glass that will be in the same vicinity as kids!

Sandblasted Glass

The sand is projected onto the plate by compressed air. This makes an abrasive action of all or a part of the surface. The transparent glass becomes translucent, almost opaque. (Sica Design)

Satin Glass

This type of glass is acid-etched before the surface is polished with brushes to give achieve an elegant finish.

Smoked Glass

This colour-tinted glass has a smoke-like grey-to-black effect.

Standard Glass

Standard transparent glass may have slight green or blue hue. The finish is unique to each manufacturer and their production techniques.

Tinted Glass

Glass can be colour-tinted in any colour. The pigment is present throughout the glass, enabling a translucent effect.

Tempered or Toughened Glass

Glass can be toughened by baking it in an oven. If the glass were to break, it would shatter into many little pieces rather than dangerously large shards.

Ultra-light or Ultra-clear glass

The colour of the glass is achieved by the presence of mineral substances. Overall this glass has a low content of iron, providing a more translucent finish than standard transparent glass. Green/blue hues are greatly reduced, although the finite clarity depends on each manufacturer and individual production techniques.

LEATHERS

Buffalo hide leather is made from the top sliver of leather from the animals hide. Some of the natural textures of the surface are retained.

Hide leather is the top quality layer of leather and made from the cow-hide unless otherwise stated.

Leathers are made from the skins of many animals; largely cattle, goat, sheep and pigskins. Despite a great variety of leather types, this material can usually be put into one of three categories: Aniline, Semi-aniline and Pigmented (protected).

Aniline Leather is the most natural looking type, with the natural surface visible. It is less resistant to soiling and valued for its weathering or ageing effect, illustrating the stories of usage over time.

Semi-Aniline Leather is somewhere in-between on both counts, with a light surface coating. Pigmented (protected) Leather is the most durable, but less natural in appearance. This leather is dyed to reach the desired colour and has a polymer coating for protection.

METALS

Aluminium

Aluminum is a soft, lightweight metal with a silver/white appearance and face-centered cubic crystalline structure. This versatile metal is fully recyclable and characteristically both light durable, as well as requiring minimal maintenance. Flexible and easy to handle, aluminium has tremendous potential for design. It can be curved, tapered, welded, moulded and cut to achieve the most challenging and dynamic geometries. Where cut, the metal's innate resistance to corrosion ensures that the trimmed edge does not need protection.

Anodised Aluminium (anodising or anodizing)

This technique is used to modify the surface of a metal. This technique is widely used to protect aluminium and titanium from abrasion and corrosion. The process also allows it to be dyed in a vast range of colors. Aluminium oxide coating is grown from and into the surface of the metal. This ensures that it is not prone to peeling or cracking in the way that organic coatings, such as paint fade over time.

Brushed Aluminium

Achieving a satin finish.

Cast Aluminium

Molten aluminium is "cast" by pouring it into a mould and allowing it to cool in the shape of the form. It is then ejected to make a fabricated part or casing. The 'pattern' is the original template from which the mould is prepared and creates a corresponding cavity in the casting material. Cores are used to make tunnels or holes in the finished mould, while the 'part' is the final output of the process.

Chrome

Chromium is a silver-grey, lustrous, brittle and hard metal that can be highly polished; creating a mirror-like effect.

Chrome-Plated

When an internal metal has been plated with an external layer of chrome, a highly polished mirror effect is achieved.

Embossing

The process of creating a three-dimensional image or design.

Galvanised Metal

Galvanising is the process of coating a metal (usually iron or steel) with a protective layer of zinc. Galvanised iron is prepared by dipping iron (from which rust has been removed by the action of sulphuric acid) into molten zinc so that a thin layer of the remains on the surface, preventing the under-layer from oxidisation.

Iron

Forged metal that can be used as a core structural material to support other components.

Natural Aluminium

One of the most common substances on earth, aluminium provides an exceptional combination of properties. As design house Extremis details:

"Being light, aluminium is extremely ductile and malleable in its pure state. Coated with a layer of aluminium oxide, it is by nature resistant to corrosion. This fine layer builds up as soon as the pure aluminium comes in contact with the atmosphere. Aluminium is never used in its pure state. The addition of a number of substances confers the material its required properties, depending on its use and the treatments it must undergo."

Aluminium has a very wide range of application. Recycling provides approximately 35% of the overall aluminium consumption. This metal is widely used for construction applications, storage tanks, cars, aeroplanes, cans and aluminium foil to name but a few. It's also extremely useful in electric wiring and conductor rails.

Nickel

A hard, malleable, ductile, silver-white metal with a face-centered cubic crystalline structure.

Plating

Plating is the application of a plate or coat of metal to a surface for decoration, reflection of light, protection against corrosion, or increased wearing quality.

Satinised Nickel

Wire brushes are used to satinise metal, thus creating a matt finish.

Mirror-Polished Aluminium

Aluminium polished to create a mirror-like effect.

Chromed Steel

Chrome plating is adhered to a steel structure for an external chrome finish.

Galvanised Steel - Preparation

Galvanisation is the most durable method of protecting metal from rust.

Matt steel

Steel can be painted or matt chromed to achieve a matt steel finish.

Stainless Steel

Increasingly popular within the home, stainless steel is available in a range of finishes, coatings and colours. Work surfaces are hygienic, heatproof and can be welded together into seamless units.

Steel

This metal is typically used in architectural finishes. Steel offers reduced waste of materials, reduced primary energy use, as well as reduced construction time and costs. This material can scratch and show watermarks, which means some maintenance is required.

Polished Stainless steel

Highly polished sheet metal provides a mirror surface that, unlike glass, won't shatter.

Zinc

This lustrous bluish-white metal is used to galvanise steel, thus preventing corrosion.

Painting, Lacquering & Polishing

Lacquer

A solution of film-forming materials, natural or synthetic, usually applied as an ornamental or protective coating. The lacquer formula may be varied to impart durability. Finish can be matt or polished as below.

Matt Lacquer

Matt-lacquer is a more straightforward process than polished lacquer, making it more cost-effective than the polished variety. The wipeable, waterproof finish provides deeper and warmer tones than polished lacquer.

High-Gloss Lacquer - Polished Lacquer

Polished lacquer requires many layers to be applied and left to dry, before re-lacquering a number of times to achieve a high gloss finish. Prices for polished lacquer and high-gloss lacquer products reflect the extra time and work required to achieve the finish.

Powder Coating

A sprayed application of paint is applied to a surface structure in order to create a durable and washable matt surface. The final feel is, quite literally, of a powder coating with a slightly grainy texture.

Woods & Wood Veneers

Wood expresses mother natures design with warmth and character. Easy to work and live with, wood that is cared for can last a life-time, gaining further character as it ages.

Wood from well managed forests is both environmentally friendly and renewable. The effects of global warming are reduced as trees and wood products act as carbon sinks.

As well as being recyclable, wood reduces energy for heating because of its thermal efficiency. At the end of use wood can of course be used as a bio-fuel.

The majority of wood used in the UK is from well managed forests in Europe. This is helping forest mass to increase annually by an area the size of Cyprus!

Wood can be maintained by ensuring that it is allowed to dry properly and then treating it with recommended stains, paints and preservatives.

The Value of FSC - Certified Wood

The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), created on the initiative of the WWF, not only takes into account ecological but also socio-economic standards. When awarding its label, the FSC's vision is to limit the number of felled trees.

American Black Walnut

The black walnut has a beautiful medium-to-dark colour and is renowned for its visual depth and interesting patterns of the wood grain. This type of wood is popular for furniture and flooring as the excellent machining qualities keep it in high demand.

Ash

Pale cream in colour and light brown. Open-grained, tough and flexible with good elastic qualities, this wood works and finishes well.

Beech

The most popular and versatile hardwood due to its light, neutral tones and soft grains, beech is often stained to achieve darker tones. Beech is an extremely tough wood with immense strength and a close straight grain. Beech polishes well and withstands shocks and wear. This wood is not suitable for permanent outdoor use because it is not durable when exposed to changes in moisture. It can be also heavy due to the density and can be difficult to work.

Bleached Beech

An application of bleach lightens and whitens the wood.

Bleached Oak

An application of bleach lightens and whitens the wood.

Burr Walnut

This is a rare finish due to the expense and specialist application. This wood is often used in fine furniture as a veneer.

Cedar Wood

Often used in architectural applications, cladding exteriors of buildings and used for hot-tubs due to its' hard wearing properties. This wood has mildly warm brown tones and minimal grain with consistent colour.

Cherry

This elegantly colourful wood has warm pink heartwood with distinct yellowish sapwood. This fine textured decorative wood provides a superb finish. The autumnal red appearance darkens over time to a rich maturity. Cherry has a fine, barely visible grain.

Grey Oak

Colour-treated oak

Jatoba Wood

FSC Labelled, this conservation grade hard wood is from Brazil. Untreated Jatoba wood will get a silver-grey patina. To keep the surface nice and smooth, we advise that you slightly sand the wood every year. The Jatoba wood Extremis uses in its products is FSC labelled and originates from regions controlled by nature conservation organisations.

Light Oak

Bleached or unstained oak, normally from European sources.

Oak

This strong and durable hardwood can soak up wood stains to create colour and contrast, whilst retaining the character of a real-wood feel. Beginning with a light texture and feel, oak matures over the years to grow gradually warmer, with any knots and deep grain detail increasingly defined. Extremely strong and durable, oak finishes well, works well and has very little shrinkage.

Disadvantages: European oak is very heavy, expensive and splits easily. It contains tannic acid, which corrodes steel and iron fittings. The effect on the fittings can cause permanent blue stains to the wood surface.

Limed oak

Oak with a bleached appearance after treatment with lime.

Mahogany

A rich, brown, close-grained wood from Central America and the West Indies. Pink to dark reddish brown, Mahogany is fairly easy to work, strong, of medium weight and finishes well.

Mansonia

Not dissimilar to American Black Walnut, Mansonia is a more expensive and rare wood. It is an ideal material for high-quality cabinetry, furniture and decorative veneers. Mechanical properties include quick drying, high bending strength, low stiffness, medium shock resistance and high crushing strength. The tree grows in tropical West Africa, specifically in Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Wood typically has light or dark bands with whiter portions in the sapwood.

Teak

Grown naturally in South East Asia, teak is a hard, weather resistant wood used predominantly in outdoor furniture. When left untreated, teak silvers (turns a silver grey colour). We are very careful to ensure that all the teak wood used in our collection of furniture has been sourced ecologically from sustainable sources. Teak is rich golden brown in colour.

Advantages: Teak is strong and naturally oily, which makes it a very good material to use in outside furniture.

Resistance: Teak is highly resistant to moisture, fire, acid and alkalis. Teak has a very attractive straight grain, will not corrode iron and steel and may be cut and shaped very easily.

Disadvantages: Teak can be difficult to glue together because the oils form a barrier that will not easily absorb the glue. It can be expensive to buy and due to the gritty nature of the wood grain it can blunt cutting tools very quickly.

Please be wary when purchasing teak and ask for certification that it has been obtained from renewable sources! Teak has been massacred over the last decade to feed an ever-increasing demand for cost-effective wooden furniture. Yet whole communities are at risk in Indonesia and the Philippines where deforestation has shocked ecosystems into mudslides and erosion.

Walnut

European Walnut is a hard wood renowned for its strength and interesting curving patterns of grains. Far lighter than American Black Walnut, this wood is less popular, but still has a slightly figured grain that can be polished to give stronger character.

Wengé

Real wengé is rarely used due to it being a tropical hardwood, with few sustainable sources available and the resulting high prices. Most wengé applications are formed through stained oak or beech with the stain generally dark/chestnut in colour.

Zebrano

Think zebra stripes and you can immediately capture the essence of Zebrano wood. This African hardwood has distinctive light and dark stripes and a highly visual grain.

Core-board

A composite wood (could be wood-chip or MDF) which is then veneered.

MDF

Medium Density Fibreboard is a very stable construction material to use. This material won't expand or contract light solid wood. MDF literally comprises recycled sawdust fibres which makes it ecologically friendly too!

Solid Wood

Solid wood structure, unlike a veneer.

Stained Wood

Wood that has been stained to achieve different colours. In general, stained wood still shows the inherent grain and textures/characteristics of the material.

Wood Conglomerate

A mix of different woods.

Wood Laminate

This material comprises multiple layers of wood, bonded to create an extremely hard and toughened structure.

High Pressure Laminate

As featured in Extremis' Arthur table, their definition is as follows: High pressure laminate (HPL) is a flat panel based on thermosetting resins, homogeneously reinforced with wood fibres and manufactured under high pressure and at high temperatures. Sun, rain (even acid rain) and moisture do not affect the surface or the core.(Extremis)

UV Resistant

HPL is also resistant to the UV radiation in sunlight, which means that the colours will not change significantly for at least 10 years, even under the most severe climatic conditions.The closed, non-porous surface ensures that practically no dirt accretes, making it very easy to clean.

Wood Veneers

In woodworking, veneer refers to thin slices of wood, usually thinner than 3 millimetres (1/8 inch). Veneer layers are usually glued and pressed onto core panels of different materials (such as wood, particle board or medium density fiberboard) to obtain doors, tops and side panels for cabinets, parquet floors and pieces of furniture. They are also used in marquetry. Plywood is made up of a number of layers of veneer, each layer glued at right angles to the adjacent layers. Veneer beading is a thin layer of decorative edging that can be placed around objects such as jewellery boxes.

Plywood

This was the first type of engineered wood to be invented. Thin sheets of wood veneer, called plies or veneers, are stacked together with the direction of each pieces grain differing from the one next to it. Plywood is bonded under heat and pressure with strong adhesives.

Plastics

ABS

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene or ABS, (chemical formula ) is a common thermoplastic used to make light, rigid, moulded products such as pipes and golf club heads (used for its good shock absorbance).

Injection Moulding

This process is used to produce large quantities of identical plastic items. Acid-Etched Acrylic/Perspex

Acrylic

A glassy thermoplastic material that is vacuum-formed to cast and mould shapes.

GRP - Glass-reinforced Plastic

This is a composite material or fibre-reinforced plastic. GRP is made of a tough plastic, reinforced by fine fibres made of glass. Like graphite-reinforced plastic, the composite material is often referred to as fibreglass.

Linoleum

Traditional used as a floor covering linoleum is made from solidified linseed oil (linoxyn) in combination with wood flour or cork dust over a burlap or canvas backing. It can also be used to achieve a stylish finish in a whole range of furniture.

Parapan

Parapan is wipe clean solid acrylic that is extremely glossy and coloured all the way through. Ideal for use in doors, drawer and cupboard fronts as well as wall-cladding to create a high shine, sleek finish. Easy to maintain - eventual scratches can be buffed away, enhancing its' hard-wearing nature.

Perspex

Perspex is the trade name for a lightweight, tough plastic first produced in the 1930s. This plastic has excellent weather and UV resistance; low density and lightweight compared with glass. Clear sheets offer excellent optical clarity and light transmission qualities. Any conceivable colour/shade is possible.

Plexiglas

A clear, transparent thermoplastic synthetic resin used for casting and moulding. Plexiglas was introduced in 1936 and defines the combination of various parts in a structure. In 1972, Plexiglas became the first acrylic to become impact-modified.

Polyester

The main characteristic of polyesters is their ability to resist wrinkling and hold their shape when creased. Polyesters can be sprayed onto moulds to create slim, yet highly durable structures.

High-Gloss Finish Polyester

The main characteristic of polyesters is their ability to resist wrinkling and to hold their shape when creased.

Satin Finish Polyester

A category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Polyester usually refers to cloth woven from polyester fibre. Polyester fibres are usually spun together with cotton to produce a cloth with some of the best properties of each. Although combustible, polyester tends to shrink away from the flame source and often self-extinguishes. Polyester is extensively recycled and creates less pollution when the recycled fibres are reengineered than when new ones are created. Polyester contains no animal products.

Secret Sign

A revolutionary new product exclusively manufactured by Perspex.

Polyethelene

Better known as PE, plastic man-made fibres.

Rotationally Moulded Polyethelene

Rotational moulding is a low-pressure process suitable for making complex plastic parts. The costs for a mould are a small when compared to the costs of injection or blow moulding.

Polyurethane

Polyurethane is used in furniture manufacture for casting soft edges around table tops and panel that are stylish, very durable and prevent injury.

Varnish

Varnish is frequently employed as a finishing coat to protect or seal wood. This results in a hard and inflexible coat, popular for protecting floors. Varnish can also be suitable for finishing furniture or other detailed pieces.

High-Gloss Finish Polyurethane

Polyurethane that is polished to enable a high-gloss finish.

PVC-Coated

A structure that is coated and/or sealed with a layer or PVC.

PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride

This widely used plastic is more commonly known as PVC. It is one of the most valuable products of the chemical industry, with over 50% of the PVC manufactured used in construction. PVC has many uses. As a hard plastic, it can be used for many things, such as, magnetic stripe cards, window profiles and old-style records.

Variable-Density Polyether

Polyether generally refers to polymers such as polyethylene glycol. Some low molecular compounds may also be included.

Ceramic

Ceramics are defined as products made from inorganic, non-metallic materials with a crystalline structure. Ceramics are usually processed at a high temperature at some time during their manufacture.

Corian

It is a hygienic, crevice free surface, making it great for food preparation. Corian can be found in kitchens all over the world and can be worked like hardwood, used singly, in self-combination or with other materials. For specialist clean zones a built in antibacterial protection is incorporated.

Domestically, Corian is used in kitchens and bathrooms. This material works well with both modern and traditional designs, such as a worktop, splashback or sinks. Corian has good impact strength and resists fractures, chipping and cracking in normal use. Most accidental cuts, scratches and gauges can normally be removed by the end user.

Hularo Fibres

Unique synthetic Hularo® fibres are made from a fully dyed polyethylene material. The fibres are produced in Europe and have exceptional qualities, such as being incredibly strong and soil resistant. Unlike other more traditional materials, Hularo® fibres are totally maintenance free and can withstand the most extreme weather conditions.

Rubber

Natural rubber has the colour of pale skin. The rubber used for car tyres is black in colour due to carbon, silica or carbon chalk that are submitted to the rubber mix before vulcanisation. Thanks to the recycling of car tyres, there's a lot of recycled black rubber on the market.