Abrasives refer to a broad class of materials that are used to shape or finish a workpiece through rubbing which leads to part of the workpiece being worn away. The key property of abrasives is their hardness which allows them to wear away softer materials like metals, woods and composites. Some common abrasives include natural abrasives like diamond, corundum and garnet as well as synthetic abrasives like aluminum oxide and silicon carbide. Abrasives are available in different forms like grains, grits, powders and bonded abrasives which allow for flexible end use applications.
Classification of Abrasives
Abrasives can be broadly classified based on their composition into natural and synthetic abrasives. Natural abrasives are sourced directly from mining operations and include products like garnet, emery and diamond. Synthetic abrasives on the other hand are man-made using industrial processes and include aluminum oxide, silicon carbide and cubic boron nitride. Another way to classify abrasives is based on their physical form as loose or bonded abrasives. Loose abrasives typically comprise free grains while bonded abrasives use resin bonding to hold the abrasive grains. Additional classifications include coated and superabrasives based on unique properties.
Properties of Commonly Used Abrasives
Some of the most widely used abrasives include aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, diamond and garnet. Aluminum oxide or Al2O3 abrasives are very popular owing to their durability, consistent quality and moderate cost. They have a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale and are used for general purpose grinding of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Silicon carbide (SiC) abrasives have a hardness of 9.5 and are known for their strength and sharp edges, finding application in precision grinding. Natural diamond abrasives have supreme hardness of 10 but higher costs. They are used where other abrasives fail to perform. Garnet contains mixture of aluminum silicate minerals and has a hardness of 6.5-7.5, making it suitable for softer materials like wood.
Bonded Abrasives
Bonded abrasives refer to abrasive grains that are held together using a bonding medium like resin, rubber or metal. This bonding allows the abrasive particles to be shaped into various forms like discs, belts, sheets, rolls and wheels based on the process requirements. The bond material holds the grains precisely and helps deliver a consistent cutting or finishing action. Some common bonded abrasive types include coated abrasives like sandpaper, superabrasives and cubic boron nitride wheels along with flexible and non-woven abrasives. Factors like bond material, grain size and structure determine the application areas.
Finishing Processes using Abrasives
Abrasives play a vital role in various industrial metalworking and finishing operations by precisely removing material. Some key processes include grinding, cutting, honing, lapping and polishing. Grinding uses bonded abrasives to flatten, contour and deburr metal parts. Cut-off grinding slices metal stock at an angle. Lapping and honing entail further smoothing and finishing to ultra-fine levels of flatness. Polishing is the final stage with abrasives and compounds to impart a lustrous, reflective mirror surface. Automotive, aerospace, medical devices extensively use abrasives for high precision components.
With continuous demand for closer tolerances and improved surface finishes from manufacturing industries, newer varieties of abrasives are being developed. Researchers are exploring engineered diamonds, cubic boron nitrides and nano-sized ceramics as potential alternatives to conventional abrasives. 3D printed slicing tools using bonded superabrasives offer customized solutions. Robotics is facilitating automation in abrasive processes. Environmentally friendly eco-abrasives from renewable biomass are also emerging. Overall, the abrasives industry will keep pace with technological evolution, bringing advanced abrasive materials and hybrid deburring-finishing solutions.
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