Exports

The evolution of Brazilian exports of ornamental rocks during 2007 broke the tendency of strong growth registered in the last five years, practically repeating the results of 2006. The exports in 2007 reached US $ 1093 million, corresponding to sales of 2.5 million tons of rough and elaborated stone.

Compared to 2006, there was a positive variation of 4.62% in revenue and a negative index of 3.39% in the physical volume exported. This situation reflects the crisis in the housing market in the United States, which worsened in the second half of 2007.

The concern about climate change is leading to all kinds of investigations that could help to mitigate to the extent possible, the consequences of this problem.

Sandstone, as the name spells, is a rock formed of sand or quartz grains tightly pressed together and cemented by variety of materials like silica, iron, lime etc. The grain size, strength, kind of cementing material and compactness determine its density, permeability and the use. The colour of sandstone depends on cementing materials viz. ferruginous sandstone are red to brown, argillaceous are earthy to buff and generally white. Due to oxidation the ferruginous sandstone generally tend to change the colour from radish to brown buff, yellow and greenish.

Gesa Todt

For quite a long time fibre reinforced natural stone has been offered for kitchen tops, elevator covering or noble bathrooms. However, the latest developments of the Munich company TechnoCarbon expand these ranges of application and will grant natural stone new importance as an environmentally-friendly construction material.