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Abrasive: Material Types & Industrial Applications

(Last Updated On: April 7, 2023)

Abrasives are usually made of hard metals used in a variety of manufacturing and domestic applications for woodworking and metalwork to form or complete a piece of work. 

Abrasives are generally used by hand or machine to grind away pieces of wood or mineral. It gives a sleek, elegant, or finished look or carries away a piece of material slowly until the aspired shape is achieved.

Types of Abrasives Material

Types of Abrasives & abrasive material List

Types of Abrasives are divided into two main sections

  • Natural Abrasives
  • Synthetic Abrasives

Natural Abrasives

Abrasive Garnet Sand Powder - Natural Abrasives
Abrasive Garnet Sand Powder

Diamond, Garnet, Corundum, and Quartz are some examples of natural abrasives.

Natural abrasives include diamond, corundum, and emery; they occur in natural deposits and can be mined and processed for use with little alteration.

Synthetic Abrasives

Synthetic abrasives are designed to simulate organic material and are made rather than excavated.  Both kinds of abrasives are utilized in a wide range of forms and are most frequently coated or bonded. 

Abrasives come in the design of grinding rollers, bands, rods, plates, blocks, free grain, sanding sponges, and sheets.

Bonded Abrasives

Bonded abrasives are those that are made into grinding wheels, cut off wheels, segments, cones, and other such forms or “bonded” types used for many aspects of woodworking and metal finishing or cutting applications. 

Bonded abrasives are usually used with a drill or rotary tool.  The idea for bonding abrasive material, whether natural or synthetic, together is so the grain bits hold together to give a hard material for the goals of cutting or grinding.

Coated Abrasives

Coated abrasives are metals that can be used likewise to bonded abrasives.  Free and closed coat are the two types of abrasive layers.  In an open coat abrasive, 50% or 75% of the cover is coated with abrasive grain. 

These grains incorporate materials such as corundum, garnet, silicon carbide, light brownish aluminum oxide, heat handled aluminum oxide, zirconia alumina, and ceramic alumina.

Abrasive Backing Types

Abrasive backing varieties are paper, fabric, film, or fiber.  The coated abrasive structure consists of backing, adhesive, and metals. 

The minerals or grains are typically adhered to the backing and most frequently include both a make and size coat.  A make coat is utilized to the backing then the metal or grain is employed, accompanied by a size coat of adhesive.

Paper Backings

Paper backings get in six weights or widths: A, B, C, D, E, and F.  A and B load are lightweight papers used for light to medium grade grains.  These are usually used for hand sanding and handheld electric sanders.  B is somewhat thicker and more valuable than A weight paper.

C and D weight paper backings are an average weight thickness that is largely used for mediocre grade grains and is typically practiced for sheets, discs, and light-duty sanding areas. 

E and F weight papers are more solid and more durable and are ready to help the heavy sanding needed for heavier grains. 

E and F are used largely for production sanding and take the figure of file board paper, belts, and discs.  F density is also used for drums and cones.

Cloth backings

Cloth backings comprise cotton, rayon, and polyester.  A backings density and stiffness are marked in weights J, X, Y, M, S, T, and Z.  J weight is the thinnest and most resilient of the cotton backing.  X weight is average and handles the most comprehensive application range such as tools. 

Y weight is used for complex drills intended for heavy-duty applications.  M weight is one of the more substantial cotton cloth backings used for more advanced heavy-duty applications. 

A and T weights are utilized in extra broadcloth belts and give the optimal strength in both knitting directions with T weight being practiced with high horsepower machine. 

Also Read: What is Centerless Grinding?

Rayon is durable and resilient and resistant to tearing and fraying at the ends.  Polyester is a very strong and tough backing used in treatments that require extra strength and a water-resistant cloth backing.

Grain backing is hard and strong but flexible enough for the drum and disc sanding services made from rag stock. 

Polyester film is another yard and adjustable backing that is used for very light to medium grain discs rolls, and areas.

Film products are usually used in combination with water-based solvents as the backing is fully waterproof.

Examples of Abrasives

Examples of abrasives include sandpaper, grinding wheels, emery cloth, diamond blades, sandblasting media, polishing compounds, and buffing pads.

Abrasive Sandpaper

Sandpaper is a type of coated abrasive that consists of abrasive grains, such as aluminum oxide or silicon carbide, attached to a backing material, such as paper or cloth, with an adhesive. It is commonly used in woodworking, metalworking, and other industries to smooth or remove material from surfaces, such as wood, metal, or plastic.

Abrasive Grinding Wheels

Grinding wheels are made up of abrasive grains that are bonded together with a binding agent, such as resin, to form a wheel shape. They are commonly used in metalworking, manufacturing, and construction industries to remove excess material and shape or finish metal surfaces.

Abrasive Emery Cloth

Emery cloth is a type of coated abrasive that is made of abrasive grains, such as emery or aluminum oxide, attached to a flexible backing material, such as cloth or paper. It is commonly used in metalworking and woodworking to remove rust, paint, or other coatings from metal surfaces.

Diamond Blades

Diamond blades are made up of diamond particles that are bonded to a metal or resin matrix to form a cutting tool. They are commonly used in the construction and manufacturing industries to cut through hard materials, such as concrete, stone, or ceramics.

Sandblasting Media

Sandblasting media is a type of abrasive that is used in sandblasting machines to clean or prepare surfaces for painting or coating. It is typically made up of abrasive grains, such as silica sand, aluminum oxide, or garnet.

Abrasive Polishing Compounds

Polishing compounds are a type of abrasive that are used to polish or buff surfaces to a high gloss or shine. They are commonly used in the automotive and jewelry industries to polish metal surfaces.

Buffing Pads

Buffing pads are a type of abrasive pad that is used with a buffing machine to polish or shine surfaces, such as metal, plastic, or glass. They are commonly used in the automotive and manufacturing industries to finish and polish surfaces.

Abrasives are a vital component in many industries and are used to shape, finish, or prepare a wide range of materials. By understanding the different types of abrasives and their applications, businesses can choose the right abrasive tool for their specific needs and achieve the desired results.

These abrasives are commonly used in various industries, such as manufacturing, construction, automotive, and metalworking, to shape and finish materials such as metal, glass, ceramics, and plastics.

Industrial Applications of Abrasives

The industry utilizes abrasives in three basic models. They can be bonded to a metal to form solid machines such as grinding wheels, cylinders, bands, cups, segments, or sticks.

They can be added to the paper, cloth, plastic, or other substance, as is done with sandpaper. Or they may be practiced in a loose form, as when a splash of sand is used to wipe the surface of a building while sandblasting.

Most industrial uses of abrasives settle into one of four general categories. Cleansing involves the extraction of dirt and blemishes from the surface of an object. One part is the use of grinding wheels to polish off the façade of a metal.

Shaping is the method by which an abrasive is used to create the desired shape. Grinding a tool is an illustration of shaping.

Sizing is a sort of polishing which an abrasive fades away a surface until it finds some exact shape. Cutting is the division of a material into two separate parts, as when a diamond saw is utilized to cut through a portion of the metal.

Industrial Trades of Abrasive Materials

This broad market includes all manufacturing applications using abrasives in the manufacturing process.

Major Markets Use Abrasive Materials

  1. Woodworking and fabrication: furniture, kitchen cabinets and custom casework
  2. Metal fabrication: light sheet metal fabrications, metal components and metal casework
  3. Fiberglass, plastics and composites: manufactured products for major manufacturers or automotive, aircraft and other industries
  4. Automotive manufacturers
  5. Aircraft and other aerospace manufacturers
  6. Marine trades manufacturing

Abrasives Material & Automotive Aftermarket:

This large market includes all repair and parts fabrication applications using abrasives in the process.

Major targets in this market include:

  1. Automotive maintenance and repair: collision repair facilities, mechanical repair facilities and custom paint facilities
  2. Automotive aftermarket parts manufacturers: custom accessories and aftermarket car and truck parts

Common Applications for Abrasive Materials

  • Buffing
  • Honing
  • Drilling
  • Grinding
  • Polishing
  • Cutting
  • Sharpening
Abrasive Materials Types and Applications

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