Abrasives are substances both natural and synthetic that are used to grind, polish, abrade, scour, clean, or otherwise remove solid material usually by rubbing action (as in a grinding wheel), but also by impact (pressure blasting). The most important physical properties of materials that qualify as abrasives are hardness, toughness (or rigidity), grain shape and size, character of fracture (or cleavage), and purity (or uniformity). In the final analysis, the choice of a high-grade abrasive depends upon the quality and quantity of work performed by the abrasive per unit of cost. Initial cost of an artificial abrasive may be much greater than that of a natural abrasive, but the artificial mineral may do so much better work and do it so much faster than the ultimate cost is less. It is for this reason that artificial abrasives have largely replaced natural abrasives. Chemical Properties: Purities are available from PreRish Tri sometimes as high of a typical purity as 99.999% down to low purity recycled abrasive grains or powders Physical Properties: Numerous shape and size options are usually readily available from READE as large as 50 mm grinding and tumbling media down to as small as 20 100 nanometer particles. Typical Applications: Buffing, coated abrasives, coatings, deburring, electrical potting insulation, fillers, fining, flow finishing, friction, grinding wheels, heat transfer component, investment casting molds, wear resistant parts, metal lapping, polishing, pressure blasting, slurry sawing, tumbling, ultrasonic machining.
