Porcelain

CTX BasicKeramik® ABK Black

CTX BasicKeramik® ABK Black is a sintered porcelain large-format slab from the Italian manufacturer ABK Group, distributed through Civet's CTX BasicKeramik line. The naturale matt slab shows a deep, velvety solid black ground tone with no veins, no clouds, no variation – the design counterpart to the pale sister grade ABK Base Pearl. At ROSSITTIS we fabricate the slabs into heat- and acid-resistant wall claddings, interior floors, furniture tops, façade elements, kitchen splashbacks and made-to-measure interior and exterior components with an uncompromisingly dark architectural feel.

A large-format porcelain slab (sintered stone) from the Italian manufacturer ABK Group (ABK Industrie Ceramiche, Solignano/Modena), distributed through the CTX BasicKeramik line of Civet – not a naturally formed stone, not an engineered quartz and not a marble agglomerate. Variant “ABK Black” as an uncompromising solid black selection with a deep, velvety black ground without veining or clouding.

Porcelain Italy

Available as: Slabs

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About CTX BasicKeramik® ABK Black

Background. CTX BasicKeramik® is the porcelain line of the Italian materials distributor Civet (CTX). Unlike the marble agglomerate line CTX BasicAgglo® and the engineered quartz line CTX BasicQuarz®, the BasicKeramik line does not work with polyester resin as a binder but with high-temperature sintered, fully mineral-sintered ceramic. The slabs come from the Italian manufacturer ABK Group (ABK Industrie Ceramiche, Solignano in the province of Modena) – one of the established European producers of large-format porcelain, with a long industrial tradition in the Italian ceramics district around Sassuolo.

Material build-up and manufacture. An ABK porcelain slab consists of around 100 % mineral raw materials – feldspar, quartz, clay minerals and pigments – without polymer binders. The mix is compacted in a mould by pressing, given decorated pigment layers for the surface appearance and then sintered at temperatures above 1,200 °C in a tunnel kiln. During this sintering the mineral particles partly fuse into a closed crystalline mineral structure – the end product is a fully mineral-sintered slab with no resin content. This produces decisive technical advantages over engineered quartz: water absorption below 0.1 %, very high heat resistance, full UV resistance and therefore suitability for exterior use, frost resistance and almost complete acid resistance.

The ABK Black version. ABK Black is the most uncompromising solid black grade of the CTX BasicKeramik line. The ground tone is a deep, velvety pure black with subtle matt depth – not brownish black, not anthracite, but a clear architectural black. The slab is deliberately conceived as a solid-colour slab: no veins, no clouds, no dramatic staging. From every distance the surface looks calm, continuous and maximally homogeneous. In design terms ABK Black is the dark counterpart to the pale ABK Base Pearl grade and belongs in the field of reduced, architectural interior and exterior design with a solid black ambition.

Formats and thicknesses. ABK normally supplies the BasicKeramik slabs in large formats of around 320 × 160 cm and 160 × 80 cm in several thicknesses (typically 6, 12 and 20 mm). The 6 mm slab is the first choice for wall claddings, furniture fronts, interior doors and rainscreen façade panels; the 12 and 20 mm slabs are used for interior floors, exterior floor coverings and made-to-measure components.

Thermal and chemical properties. Unlike the CTX BasicQuarz line, there is no polyester resin here – which means the typical weaknesses fall away: ABK Black is heat-resistant (hot sources are tolerated without difficulty), almost completely acid-resistant (wine, lemon, tomato, vinegar leave no traces) and fully UV-stable (suitable for exterior use). Frost and weather resistance are given. On a dark slab, UV stability is particularly important, because many dark pigments on a polyester resin base would yellow over the long term – with porcelain, the black tonal value stays stable.

ROSSITTIS range. The surface finishes available from stock are listed in the »Finishes« block further down. From these we produce wall claddings (including bathroom walls and kitchen splashbacks), interior floors in large format or tile format, exterior floor coverings under cover, pool surrounds, skirtings, window sills, furniture fronts, kitchen splashbacks, buffet and furniture tops as well as façade elements. The uncompromisingly black slab comes into its own most strongly against pale cabinet fronts, white wall colours and pale oak; combined with brass, bronze, Corten steel and black sanitary fittings, the typical modern industrial look emerges.

Comparison. Within the CTX family, BasicKeramik is the technologically most resilient material class – ABK Black brings that advantage in the darkest solid-colour version. Compared with Caesarstone 3100 Jet Black (engineered quartz, solid black), ABK Black offers higher heat resistance and suitability for exterior use; in return the quartz slab feels warmer to the touch and is less brittle at edge joints. Compared with competing porcelains (Laminam Calce Nero, Neolith Iron Grey, GEOLUXE Volcano Black), ABK is at a comparable level – the choice depends primarily on the design portfolio, stock availability and lead times. Compared with genuine Nero Assoluto Zimbabwe or black granite, the slab looks more controlled, more uniform and completely free of pores – the natural stone remains geologically livelier, but is more care-intensive and more acid-sensitive in the bathroom and the kitchen (some black granites contain calcite).

An honest assessment. ABK Black is a choice for clients and architects looking for a genuinely uncompromising black material with full technical resilience for interior and exterior use, heat and acid. The slab works particularly strongly as a façade panel, as wall cladding, as a furniture front and as an interior and exterior floor in purist, minimalist schemes. Anyone looking for a characterful marble or granite feel should reach for other CTX grades.

In stock

Current availability from our warehouse.

62 large-format slabs in stock · plus 9 blocks

Thicknesses: 0.6–2 cm · Finishes: naturale matt · Available as: Slabs

Updated daily from our live stock.

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Finishes

CTX BasicKeramik® ABK Black is available in a range of finishes. The finish affects appearance, feel and the care it needs.

Naturale matt

A standard finish in the matte ceramic segment — the original surface as it comes out of the kiln. Level in appearance, but somewhat rougher to the touch than polished. Easy to maintain, insensitive to scratches and stain-resistant — the most everyday-capable ceramic finish for kitchen worktops, wall cladding and floor areas.

Care & fabrication

Cleaning. Day to day, warm water, a soft cloth or a clean mop and a neutral to mildly alkaline pH cleaner are enough. Mild all-purpose cleaners, mild washing-up foam and all commercially available sanitary and kitchen cleaners without hydrofluoric acid (HF) are suitable. The porcelain is almost completely acid-resistant – even acetic, citric and hydrochloric acid barely attack the slab. Wipe up spilled liquids promptly, because every dried-on haze is visible on the dark surface; the material itself, however, is free of pores and therefore stain-resistant.

Do not use. Hydrofluoric acid (HF) and fluoride-containing cleaners are the only class of substance that can genuinely attack porcelain – they occur practically only in industrial glass and stone cleaners and are not relevant in the home. And even though the slab is hard: steel wool and strongly abrasive pads can cause the finest matting on the polished version, which becomes visible on the black slab as lighter lines.

Impregnation. Not required – porcelain is dense and free of pores in itself, water absorption is below 0.1 %. An impregnation would tend to show up on the surface as a haze and is superfluous.

Dark slabs – particular care notes. On dark porcelain, water marks, limescale spots, fingerprints and dull scuff marks become especially clearly visible as lighter shadows. We recommend prompt drying off with a soft microfibre cloth after every use. The naturale matt principal finish is easier to look after here than a polished version, because water droplets and fingerprints are less glossy.

Naturale matt surface. The naturale matt version reacts somewhat more sensitively to films of grease than a polished version; isolated water droplets dry off less smoothly. We recommend prompt drying off with a soft microfibre cloth.

Wall cladding and furniture. Very well suited as a kitchen splashback, bathroom wall, furniture front (cupboard, drawers, door) and reception desk. The naturale matt solid black look is particularly effective as a kitchen splashback, because cleaning after cooking is entirely uncomplicated (acid resistance, heat resistance, absence of pores).

Floors. On floor areas we recommend the naturale matt version as the principal finish (more slip-inhibiting than polished, water marks less visible). The surface finishes available from stock are listed in the »Finishes« block further down.

Outdoors and frost. Fully suitable. The slab is UV-stable, frost- and weather-resistant and can be used as a rainscreen façade panel, exterior wall cladding, pool surround and exterior floor covering. On a dark slab, exterior use looks particularly refined; in summer the surface temperature can rise considerably (a general phenomenon of all dark exterior materials).

Scratches and repair. Porcelain is very hard (about Mohs 7) and therefore considerably more scratch-resistant than most natural materials. Deeper damage cannot simply be re-polished – repair is by replacing the affected workpiece. Particular care with edges and cut-outs is therefore required during fabrication; mitred joints should be executed by experienced specialist firms with a special adhesive.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of material is CTX BasicKeramik® ABK Black?

It is a sintered porcelain large-format slab (sintered stone) from the Italian manufacturer ABK Group (Solignano, Modena), distributed through Civet's CTX BasicKeramik line. Mineral raw materials (feldspar, quartz, clay minerals, pigments) are compacted by pressing without polymer binders and sintered at over 1,200 °C in a tunnel kiln. It is neither natural stone nor engineered quartz, but a fully mineral-sintered slab.

Does ABK Black have veins or structures?

No. ABK Black is deliberately conceived as a solid black slab – no veins, no clouds, no veils. From every distance the surface looks uniformly deep black throughout. The naturale matt principal finish gives the slab a velvety character that looks slightly porous.

How does BasicKeramik differ from BasicAgglo and BasicQuarz?

BasicAgglo contains marble chippings and polyester resin, BasicQuarz contains quartz crystals and polyester resin, BasicKeramik is fully mineral with no resin content. This gives BasicKeramik three important advantages: higher heat resistance, full UV resistance (suitable for exterior use) and almost complete acid resistance. BasicAgglo and BasicQuarz in return feel warmer to the touch.

Which slab formats and thicknesses does ABK offer?

Standard formats are around 320 × 160 cm and 160 × 80 cm in thicknesses of 6, 12 and 20 mm. The 6 mm slab is the first choice for wall claddings, furniture fronts, interior doors and rainscreen façade panels; the 12 and 20 mm slabs are used for interior floors, exterior floor coverings and made-to-measure components.

Is ABK Black suitable for exterior surfaces, façades and pool surrounds?

Yes – that is one of the central advantages over engineered quartz. Porcelain is UV-stable, frost- and weather-resistant and can be used as a rainscreen façade panel, exterior wall cladding, pool surround and exterior floor covering. A dark exterior surface can heat up more strongly in summer than pale grades – a general phenomenon of all dark materials.

Can ABK Black also be used as a kitchen worktop?

Technically the slab is also suitable for kitchen worktops (in 12 or 20 mm), but in design terms the ABK line is positioned primarily for wall, floor and furniture applications. For the actual kitchen working surface, ROSSITTIS offers special premium grades from Laminam, GEOLUXE or the Caesarstone Porcelain Collection in dark versions.

Which cleaners may I use?

Permitted are warm water, all neutral, alkaline or mildly acidic cleaners, mild all-purpose cleaners and all commercially available sanitary and kitchen cleaners. The slab is almost completely acid-resistant. Off limits are exclusively hydrofluoric acid (HF) and fluoride-containing cleaners – these are not relevant in the home. Abrasive pads should be avoided – on the black slab, scuff marks become especially conspicuous as pale lines.

How care-intensive is a black porcelain slab?

On a black slab, water marks, limescale spots, fingerprints and dull scuff marks become especially clearly visible as lighter shadows. Daily drying off with a soft microfibre cloth is advisable. The naturale matt principal finish is easier to look after here than a polished version, because water droplets and fingerprints stand out less reflectively.

What does CTX BasicKeramik® ABK Black cost?

The price depends on the format, thickness, surface finish and fabrication — there is no serious flat rate per square metre. Business customers see prices once their B2B account is activated; private customers receive a complete quote through a fabricator near them.