Artificial marble and producing method thereof

A producing method of an artificial marble, comprising the steps of:

• making a molding compound (z) adhere to a surface of a molding compound in swelling gel phase so that a ratio of the molding compound (z) to a total amount of the molding compound (z) and the molding compound in swelling gel phase is not less than 0.01 by weight and not more than 30 by weight, and
• molding a molding compound in swelling gel phase and the molding compound (z) under a thermal pressure, wherein:
• the molding compound in swelling gel phase has been prepared by crushing a swelling gel, swelled with a monomer in liquid phase which polymerizes a compound having three-dimensional linking by a radical polymerization reaction, into a predetermined size, the molding compound in swelling gel phase substantially not dissolving in the monomer and having a weight change ratio which ranges from 0 to +200% in a case where the molding compound in swelling gel phase is completely impregnated with the monomer, and
• the molding compound (z) has been prepared so that color difference between a color tone of a cured material of the molding compound in swelling gel phase and a color tone of a cured material of the molding compound (z) is not less than 3 when the molding compound (z) is applied on the surface of the molding compound in swelling gel phase so as to be cured.

A producing method of an artificial marble, comprising the steps of:

• making a molding compound (z) adhere to a surface of the molding compound in swelling gel phase so that a ratio of the molding compound (z) to a total amount of the molding compound (z) and the molding compound in swelling gel phase is not less than 0.01 by weight and not more than 30 by weight;
• and
• molding the molding compound (z) and the molding compound in swelling gel phase under a thermal pressure, wherein:
• the molding compound in swelling gel phase has been prepared by crushing a swelling gel, generated by swelling a reactive compound with monomer in liquid phase which polymerizes by a radical polymerization reaction, into a predetermined size, viscosity of the swelling gel measured with a Helipath viscometer being not less than 1,000 Pa·s, the reactive compound having three-dimensional linking based on a reaction between starting materials (A) and (B), the starting material (A) having a plurality of reactive substituents selected from a hydroxyl group and a carboxyl group, the starting material (B) being a least one of (i) a polyfunctional polyiscyanate, (ii) an organic aluminium, and (iii) an alkali earth metal oxide, at least one of the starting materials (A) and (B) containing a material of three or more functions;
• and
• the molding compound (z) has been prepared so that color difference between a color tone of a cured material of the molding compound in swelling gel phase and a color tone of a cured material of the molding compound (z) is not less than 3 when the molding compound (z) is applied on the surface of the molding compound in swelling gel phase so as to be cured.