# What solid surface is made of — the ALBELA material

> The composition of ALBELA solid surface: aluminium trihydrate and acrylic (PMMA) resin. How production works in Kirishi, how acrylic stone differs from polyester stone.

URL: https://albela.ru/en/material/

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## In-house casting · Kirishi
# Solid surface — composition, production and properties of the ALBELA material 
ALBELA basins, countertops and mirrors are made from solid surface sheet cast in house — thermoformed, milled and seamlessly bonded; bathtubs and selected models are cast in a mould. Acrylic stone is a type of solid surface based on acrylic (PMMA) resin and a mineral filler. Below is what the material is made of, how production works, and how this differs from what is usually sold under the same phrase "artificial stone". 
[ Styrene free No styrene monomers ](https://albela.ru/en/styrene-in-solid-surface/ "Why styrene in solid surface matters") [ Acrylic resin Solid surface ](https://albela.ru/en/material/ "What ALBELA acrylic stone is made of")
## 1 · Composition
## What the stone is made of
The cast composition consists of four groups of components. The proportions and the purity of the raw materials determine almost everything: strength, behaviour under heat, colour stability, and whether the surface can still be restored ten years from now. 
Components of the ALBELA cast composition.
Aluminium trihydrate (ATH)
    A refined mineral filler derived from bauxite ore. Provides the bulk of the mass, strength, fire resistance and chemical resistance
Acrylic resin (PMMA)
    The binder. Responsible for plasticity, thermoformability, surface smoothness and the absence of odour under heat
Catalysts and functional additives
    Formula stability during polymerisation, UV protection, resistance to fading and household chemicals
Pigments
    Even colour throughout the full thickness of the slab and reproducible texture from batch to batch
The key difference: the binder is pure acrylic resin, with no styrene. Most Russian manufacturers work on modified polyester resin, where styrene is part of the composition and can be released under heat. ALBELA is the only producer in Russia working on acrylic (PMMA) resin. 
## 2 · Production
## How it is made in Kirishi
A 7,500 m² workshop inside 17,000 m² of buildings, on our own 3 ha site with a rail siding. A full cycle: from raw-material preparation and binder synthesis to casting, machining and packaging of the finished piece. 
Capacity, equipment, quality control and the route of a piece are covered on the [Production](https://albela.ru/en/production/) page. 
The solid surface sheet-processing line. In-house cast slabs go on to cutting and thermoforming.
### RESPECTA and AUTOCASTER® mixing systems
Dosing and mixing run continuously and under vacuum. This removes the human factor from the process, along with the main cause of defects in cast stone — micropores and air bubbles that show up as cracks a year or two into use. The precision of automated casting keeps the piece's geometry within fractions of a millimetre. 
RESPECTA is a registered trademark of SARMATEKH, with equipment made in Germany. AUTOCASTER® is designed and built in-house in Kirishi. We service and tune both lines ourselves, with no dependence on outside contractors. 
The RESPECTA system: hoppers L101–L104 dose the components, and the compound flows onto the casting table in a continuous stream.
### Laboratories and chemical control
The site has three laboratories of its own and two test benches. They check incoming raw materials and finished pieces on the way out: thermal resistance, strength, structural uniformity. Formulas are also developed here — we run the process from synthesising the binder formulation to tuning the material's light transmission. 
An illustration of the laboratory stage: casting a control sample. Filming inside the working laboratory is not permitted — the formulas and tooling are trade secrets.
## 3 · Properties
## What this delivers in use
Seamlessness
    Parts are bonded with the same resin and sanded flush. The join between basin and countertop is invisible and does not trap dirt
Non-porous surface
    The material does not absorb water, coffee, wine or cosmetics, and does not hold odours. Mould and mildew have nowhere to take hold
Repairability
    Scratches and wear come off by sanding and polishing on site, with no need to remove the piece
Thermoforming
    Under heat the slab takes on complex shapes — hence the smooth radii, bent edges and one-piece basins
Colour stability
    Pigment runs through the full thickness rather than sitting on top: wear does not shift the shade
## Comparison with polyester stone
Parameter | ALBELA · acrylic resin (PMMA) | Polyester stone with styrene  
---|---|---  
Binder| +100% acrylic resin, styrene-free| -polyester resin with styrene  
Styrene emission| +none| -possible, increases when heated  
UV resistance| +does not yellow| -yellows over time  
Thermoforming| +deep draw, stable geometry| -limited, risk of cracking  
Seams and joints| +monolithic, visually seamless| -seam appears over time  
Repairability| +fully restorable by sanding| -edges and cloudy patches remain  
Impact toughness| +higher, more ductile| -lower: chips and micro-cracks  
[A detailed look: where styrene in solid surface comes from and why it matters](https://albela.ru/en/styrene-in-solid-surface/)
Quartz agglomerate is a third type of "artificial stone": it is harder than either, but cannot be thermoformed and cannot be restored by sanding
## 4 · Warranty and documents
## What backs this up
Warranty period
    2 years on all products
Extended warranty
    8 years, limited — covering structural integrity and material stability
Service life
    10 years
Documents
    Certificate of conformity ROSS RU.NV78.N07547, fire safety certificate SSBK.RU.PB23.N00153, QMS to GOST R ISO 9001-2015 — [download in the Documents section](https://albela.ru/en/documents/)
Certificates and test reports. Certificate of conformity, fire safety certificate (classes G2 · V2 · D2 · T2) and a QMS certificate to GOST R ISO 9001-2015, plus test reports with measured properties — density 1.78 g/cm³, Mohs hardness 4, water absorption 0.2 %, flexural strength 58 MPa. [Open the Documents section →](https://albela.ru/en/documents/)
The warranty terms, acceptance procedure and claims process are described on the [Warranty and returns](https://albela.ru/en/warranty-and-returns/) page. Company details and the supply agreement are in the [Documents](https://albela.ru/en/documents/) section. 
## 5 · Questions
## What people usually ask about the material
### Are solid surface and acrylic stone the same thing?
Essentially, yes. Solid surface is the international name for the category of cast composite materials. Acrylic stone is a type of solid surface in which the binder is acrylic (PMMA) resin. In the Russian market the phrase "artificial stone" is also used for quartz agglomerate and for polyester compounds, so it is worth checking the actual composition rather than relying on the name.
### How does acrylic stone differ from quartz agglomerate?
In binder composition and how it behaves in fabrication. Agglomerate is 90-93% crushed quartz, so it is harder and more scratch-resistant, but it cannot be thermoformed and cannot be restored by sanding: damage stays permanently. Acrylic stone is softer, but it bends under heat, joins without a visible seam and can be repaired on site.
### Can a scratch be removed at home?
Yes, on a matt surface this is usually possible. Shallow scratches come out with fine-grit sanding and polishing, with no need to remove the piece. Deep chips and gloss-surface damage are best left to a technician: the material fully recovers, but needs the right sequence of abrasive grits.
### Does the material yellow over time?
Acrylic resin is UV-stable and does not yellow the way polyester compounds do. Colour shifts on acrylic stone pieces are usually caused by ingrained dirt rather than the material itself, and these come off with cleaning or polishing.
### Is solid surface safe for contact with food?
The material is non-porous, does not absorb liquids and does not release volatile compounds at household temperatures — unlike polyester compounds containing styrene. The material carries a certificate of conformity, a fire safety certificate and a quality management system certificate to GOST R ISO 9001-2015 — these and the test reports are published in the Documents section.
### What warranty applies to ALBELA products?
The warranty period is 2 years on all products. An extended limited warranty of 8 years also applies to the structural integrity and stability of the material. The service life of the products is 10 years.
How to clean the material, what to avoid and how to remove a scratch — in detail in the [solid surface care guide](https://albela.ru/en/solid-surface-care/). 
### See what this becomes in the catalogue
[Full catalogue](https://albela.ru/en/catalog/)