Use of Industrial Abrasives

Industrial abrasives are usually made from hard minerals which can then be utilized for shaping or completing a piece of work by rubbing it. This actually causes part of the surface of the item to be worn away which results in a smooth and reflective surface. However, sometimes the surface may end up slightly more rough and this will result in a matte, satin or beaded finish to the work.

There are a number of different industries which will use abrasives in their manufacturing processes and the chemical and physical makeup of them will vary from one to the next. As well as many industries using abrasives to polish items others use them for grinding, honing, buffing, sanding, cutting, drilling and sharpening.

As we mentioned before the majority of industrial abrasives being used today are made from hard minerals and has achieved a Mohs rating of seven or more. But as well as abrasives being made from minerals there are some which are made from synthetic stones as well.

The actual physical and chemical composition of these synthetic stones is very similar to those found in minerals. However, they cannot be classed as minerals as they have not been made naturally but rather produced through the use of chemical processes.

The most common type of abrasive that is used for industrial purposes is the diamond. This particular abrasive not only occurs naturally but can also be synthetically produced. In nature the diamond will have been constructed from corundum but those which are manufactured are made from bauxite.

The diamond is one of the hardest substances known to man and yet there are plenty of minerals which are far softer than this and which can also are used for abrasive materials. One of the softest minerals being used today is calcium carbonate and this is frequently used as a polishing agent in toothpastes. It is this mineral in the toothpaste which will actually help to improve the whiteness of a person’s teeth overtime.

There are a number of different factors to be taken into consideration and these will affect just how effective the industrial abrasive is. The main one of these is the size of each grain that is used in abrasive methods. The actual size of each piece will vary from method to method. Some pieces are as little as 40micrometers whilst the largest pieces of abrasive grit (grain) will be no more than 2mm. In order to get the right size pieces of grit for use in industrial abrasives the minerals or synthetic stones will be crushed. The actual piece of the mineral or synthetic stone which comes into contact with the surface is very small this means much more pressure can be placed upon it.

As the industrial abrasives are used the grains which make it up will cause parts of the items surface to break away and leave the desired finish. But also at the same time the abrasive material begins to lose some of its grains as well and eventually overtime these will then need to be replaced to ensure that the right finish is provided every time.