Abrasives are materials, often grains or crystals, that are used to grind or polish other materials. They are essential in machining, grinding, honing, polishing and deburring. Abrasives play a crucial role in shaping, smoothing and finishing products across a wide range of industries.
Common Types of Abrasives
There are several common types of abrasives that are used for different applications based on their properties:
Natural Abrasives
Natural Abrasives are abrasive materials that occur naturally and include corundum, diamond, garnet, tripoli, pumice and emery. Corundum, or aluminum oxide, is one of the most commonly used natural abrasives. It occurs naturally in the form of ruby or sapphire and consists of fine grains that cut efficiently. Diamond is the hardest natural material known and is commonly used for grinding and drilling very hard materials.
Synthetic Abrasives
With the advancement of technology, many synthetic abrasives have been developed that either mimic natural abrasives or have enhanced properties. Synthetic aluminum oxide, also called aluminum trihydroxide or alumina, is produced through the Bayer process. It has a low cost, good strength and is more consistent than natural corundum. Other common synthetic abrasives include silicon carbide, cubic boron nitride (CBN), and cerium oxide.
Coated Abrasives
Coated abrasives have abrasive particles bonded to a flexible backing using an adhesive. Common examples include sandpaper, flapper wheels and grinding discs. The backing provides support and durability while the bond holds the abrasive particles. Coated abrasives are available in a wide range of grit sizes and are suited for both hand and power tool applications.
Bonded Abrasives
Bonded abrasives have abrasive particles infiltrated and bonded within a harder matrix. This produces a self-sharpening grinding wheel that can be formed into different shapes. Common bonded abrasives include grinding wheels, honing stones, cutoff wheels and slip-discs. The bond holds the abrasive particles rigidly in place while allowing them to fracture on a microscopic level during use.
Selecting the Right Abrasive
There are several factors to consider when selecting the right abrasive for an application:
Material - The abrasive material must be suited for the workpiece material in terms of hardness. For example, silicon carbide is well-suited for ferrous metals while aluminum oxide works well on softer materials like aluminum.
Particle Type - Factors like particle size, shape, and grading influence cut rate and surface finish. Finer abrasives with smaller, rounder particles produce better finishes while coarser abrasives cut faster.
Bond Type - The bond must have suitable properties for the workload, such as enough strength for stock removal or flexibility for finishing. Vitreous, resinous and silicon carbide bonds have different traits.
Forms - Abrasives are available as coated, bonded, and loose abrasive grains to suit different tooling such as cut-off wheels or deburring pads.
Processes like honing, grinding and sanding also influence the abrasive selection process. Understanding the application and desired results allows choosing the best possible abrasive.
Measuring and Grading Abrasives
Abrasive particle size plays a key role in cut rate and finish quality, so abrasives are carefully measured and graded. For aluminum oxide and garnet, particle size distributions from 180-1200 are most common. Finer grades below 180 and above 1200 are also available for specialized uses.
Abrasive particle grit sizes are measured via sieves following standardized test methods. In the U.S., mesh size is most often used to denote average particle diameter in inches. For example, 180-grit refers to particles that will pass through a sieve with 180 openings per square inch.
Other nations use other grading systems, but all relate particle size to finish qualities. Coarser abrasives cut faster while fine abrasives produce better polishing results. Proper grit sequences must be followed to efficiently shape and smooth surfaces.
Consumables and Safe Use
As abrasives wear down during use they must be regularly dressed, trued or replaced to maintain cut quality. Dressing squarely replenishes worn corners on bonded wheels while truing restores wheel balance. When selecting abrasives, their durability and cost-effectiveness over the usable life should be considered.
It's also important to properly handle and use abrasives while following safety precautions. Dust from abrasive use can pose health risks so respirators may be required. Machines must have proper guarding and wheels rated for their operating speeds. With responsible selection and use, abrasives enable precision machining and finishing across industries.
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