Products

PRODUCTS

INCREASINGLY ECOLOGICAL
PORCELAIN STONEWARE
WITH A LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Porcelain stoneware by Coem is not only an excellent alternative to natural materials derived from increasingly impactful quarrying activities, but offers innovative and technological design solutions to promote sustainable and cosy home living.
We develop specific programmes that help us reduce the impacts of all our activities: from the way tiles are produced, to logistical organisation, to distribution. An important milestone was achieved in 2022, obtaining independent certification of the compliance of all its products with the new ISO 17889-1 standard on the sustainability of ceramic surfaces.

Today, owing to our many years of experience, we are able to produce porcelain stoneware with high environmental performance and excellent technical and aesthetic characteristics, ideal for both indoor and outdoor applications.

HEALTHY AND SAFE
CERAMIC SURFACES

Easy to clean and hygienic, Coem ceramics contribute to improving the quality and safety of indoor spaces, without neglecting their design and visual appeal.

They are composed of materials that can be categorised as “low emission” as they do not emit VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that are harmful to human health.

Up-to-date, high-performance production plants that adopt the best available environmental technologies, the use of digital technology, and the development of automations in line with Industry 4.0 have enabled us to keep our consumptions under control, guaranteeing the ecological footprint of our products.

A PORCELAIN STONEWARE
THAT IS UP TO 99.9% ANTIBACTERIAL

SICURA is the name of the innovative antibacterial technology based on the use of a special biocide additive consisting mainly of silver ions, integrated in the production process. This confers an antibacterial action to ceramic surfaces that works around the clock, inhibiting the proliferation of bacteria by up to 99.9% and effectively combats the formation of unpleasant odours.

The antibacterial property of SICURA products remains effective for the entire life of the product and does not require exposure to UV rays to be activated.

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS TO
TO IMPROVE THE PLACES
WE LIVE IN

Coem monitors the environmental impacts of its products during all phases of their life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials to their disposal, including processing, distribution and use.

Our porcelain stoneware tiles assure excellent energy performance and good thermal insulation, thanks also to their high light refraction index. This means that they can help reduce the ``heat island`` effect (the difference in the thermal gradient between urban and suburban areas) and consequently reduce the effects on the microclimate, human living spaces and wildlife.

Coem's GresX2 outdoor surfaces with a thickness of 2 cm can be laid dry, which means the tiles can be applied directly to the ground without the use of screeds, mortar or adhesives.

Now Coem research is able to develop excellent products with a very high pre-consumer recycled content. The pre-consumer recycled material content of products varies between 40% and 60%, while maintaining very good technical and aesthetic performance levels as independently verified according to the ISO 17889-1 standard.

Thanks to advanced technologies Coem also produces anti-slip ceramic surfaces to protect people in public and private spaces.

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS TO
TO IMPROVE THE PLACES
WE LIVE IN

Reduction in the quantity of raw materials used
Design of new 9 mm-thickness collections, which make it possible to reduce impacts associated with the use of raw materials, while guaranteeing the same mechanical performance as porcelain stoneware of 10 mm thickness.

Reduction in production waste
Reduction of grinding scraps and optimization of specific consumption thanks to the development of new collections with slightly larger formats (+1.3%).

REDUCING CO2 EMISSIONS
 WHILE PROTECTING PRODUCT INTEGRITY

In 2022 specific CO2 emissions associated with energy consumption were 4.4% lower than the previous year.
Keeping emissions to a minimum is a primary objective of ours, pursued through constant maintenance and updating of our plants to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact in the production of porcelain stoneware that maintains excellent technical and aesthetic characteristics.
In order to comply with Directive 2003/87/EC (ETS - Emission Trading Scheme), since 2013 Coem has annually reported, certified and declared the CO2 emissions of its production plants.

Coem also monitors atmospheric emissions of other substances generated by its production activities and by the chemical reactions that take place during the firing process, such as Dust, Fluorine, Lead, Aldehydes, SOV, NOX. The company significantly reduces its emissions by using filtering systems that comply with the best available technology in the industry and by servicing these systems regularly. The abatement systems, besides limiting emissions out of the plant, keep the internal working environments healthy and safe and only 0.3%-14% of authorised emissions are released into the atmosphere.

For applications and decorations, we choose lead-free products and inks with a low odour impact. With regards to pollution, only 0.7%-20% of authorised emissions are released into the atmosphere, further reducing total by 99%-80% compared to those authorised.

SAFEGUARDING THE
THE TERRITORY'S BIODIVERSITY
BY FAVOURING LOCAL RESOURCES

Our porcelain stoneware is made from a blend of natural raw materials combined with a high recycled content. Coem sources its raw materials from quarries that follow a programme aimed at restoring the landscape and vegetation in line with environmental directives, in order to safeguard the biodiversity of the area. Over 97% of the raw materials used for the mixes, on the basis of the ISO 17889-1 standard have been verified and are indigenous, that is, they are found within a radius of 800 km.

RECOVERY OF
WASTE MATERIALS IN PRODUCTION

More than 90 per cent of the production waste is recycled internally and the remainder is recovered by authorised companies externally, thus significantly reducing the use of virgin raw materials.
Our plants, where the stock preparation process also takes place, are able to reuse raw and cooked rejects, aqueous suspensions, and sludges generated by our own production or by external suppliers, internally through dedicated plants. The aqueous suspensions and sludge can be used as is and fed into the mills for the production of ceramic body. Alternatively, they can undergo a purification process through the separation of the solid part from the liquid part by sedimentation and filter pressing.
The purified water is then returned to the production cycle and can be reused several times for washing the production areas and for recycling within the mills in the production of body.

Waste Management
Waste produced during installation of our porcelain stoneware is inert and can be delivered to authorised companies with the EWC code 101208.
Finally, after the end of its life cycle, our porcelain stoneware can be delivered with EWC code 170103 to companies authorised to recover inert waste from excavation and demolition materials and once treated, can be used for
• Backfilling of trenches for laying pipelines;
• Creation of sub-bases;
• Construction of roadbeds;
• Ground consolidation.

HEALTH AND SAFETY OF
PRODUCTS

All the tiles made by Ceramiche Coem are certified CE, the safety mark endorsing their main characteristics:
• Coem tiles are fire retardant; as a result, they are especially suited for public and private applications involving potentially inflammable substances, such as hospitals, airports, enclosed car parks, and stations (A1FL Decree 94/611/CE).
• Coem manufactures tiles that do not release VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) either during tiling or during use; this makes them particularly suitable for applications for people with respiratory problems or those sensitive to certain chemicals, and are therefore ideal for use in public environments such as hospitals, health clinics, nursing homes or kindergartens.
• The mechanical resistance of Coem’s full-body porcelain stoneware goes beyond the requisites of ISO 10545-4, so much so that it is also ideal for industrial environments or public spaces subject to heavy wear, such as airports, stations, shopping centres, sports stadiums and hospitals.
• Coem manufactures full-body porcelain stoneware with high resistance to deep abrasion exceeding the requisites of ISO 10545-6. This certifies its suitability for use in environments subject to high foot traffic, such as shopping centres, stations, airports, and hospitals.
• Many of our tiles are non-slip according to DM 14/06/89 n° 236 par 8.2.2 and play a vital part in overcoming architectural barriers. This means they can also be used for public environments used by people with disabilities and mobility problems.

HEALTH AND SAFETY OF
PRODUCTS

Ceramiche Coem tiles can play a positive role in the design of eco-sustainable architecture and are certified as compliant with the requirements of the Leed® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) parameters, given their excellent performance achieved through the use of recycled materials, and their excellent performance in terms of solar reflectance, reducing the “heat block” effect (absorption of sunlight which is subsequently released as heat, consequently raising the room temperature), minimising the impact that a building has on the microclimate around it.
At the end of the manufacturing cycle, which involves firing at high temperatures (in excess of 1200 °C), the porcelain stoneware made by Ceramiche Coem contains no traces or any form of organic substance. Its specifications are chemically and physically inert, with a total lack of contaminants released, forming a hard surface that is inert, compact and durable, and the guarantee of conditions that make it easy and effective to clean.
Dust, smells, smoke, germs and pollen are unable to penetrate the surface of our highly vitrified and inert ceramic tiles, which consequently require little maintenance and can be considered a very hygienic product, ideal for environments used by people with respiratory problems.
Installation Instructions
We recommend wet cutting or the score and snap method during the installation process. Do not dry cut using power tools during the installation process. Improper installation techniques could expose the installer to harmful dust.