Abrasives

In industrial processing, an abrasive is commonly referred to as a substance that is used for polishing or smoothing other products, by rubbing it against the other and causing friction. Abrasives are also used in blast processing. Abrasives also have a wide array of usage in day-to-day life. Abrasives are used extensively in polishing wooden furniture and metals and for removing surface materials such as metal, ceramics, glass, plastics, and paint. They are also used in operations such as optical lens polishing as well as in the grinding of metal and glass, wet and dry grinding, sanding, cleaning, polishing, lapping, and surface preparation in various of industrial settings, including metalworking, woodworking, ceramics, and semiconductors. They are also ideal to sharpen tools, cut optical components, and finish concrete.

Abrasive materials are naturally available as in the case with minerals as well as being man-made. Some examples of natural abrasives are emery, sand and flint. Manufactured abrasives are obtained by chemically treating certain substances to attain abrasive qualities such as borazon and carborandum. Other examples of abrasives include: aluminum oxide, zirconia alumina, ceramic, garnet, tungsten carbine, silicon carbide, diamond dust, grinding wheels, powdered glass, pumice dust, and sandpaper.