Aluminum oxide and silicon carbide are two popular abrasive materials used on metal and wood products. Selecting the ideal material depends on your application needs and desired finish type.
Silicon carbide boasts razor-sharp grains that effortlessly cut through hard metals, wood and glass surfaces with minimal force, as well as being suitable for nonmetallic or low tensile strength materials.
Abrasive Grains
Aluminum oxide is one of the most sought-after abrasives, known for its long lifespan and versatility across a range of materials. It excels at quick removal without damaging surfaces – an ideal option when time is of the essence.
This abrasive grain is often chosen when manufacturing various products such as blasting media, grinding wheels and sandpaper sheets. Available in various grit sizes between 40-400, this grain can also be distributed either mechanically or electrostatically for easy distribution.
Silicon carbide is an extremely hard, sharp abrasive grain produced through carbothermal reduction. It measures 9.5 on Mohs’ scale of hardness – harder than both diamond and boron carbide but easily breaks apart under heavy loads.
Glass, ceramics, and power electronics industries rely heavily on ground silicon carbide as an ingredient for grinding applications, while its thermal properties make it invaluable in terms of insulation properties. Refractory materials containing ground silicon carbide have thermal insulation properties which make them suitable for insulating substrates and components from heat transfer, while it is often mixed with other abrasive grains to produce grinding wheels and sandpapers – and in certain applications even customized tools tailored specifically for specific tasks!
Abrasive Life
Aluminum oxide abrasive powder is an economical, long-wearing abrasive that offers versatile uses, making it the ideal solution for operations on tight budgets that need an economical abrasive that continues to perform after repeated usage.
Silicon carbide is much harder and sharper than aluminum oxide, making it suitable for materials with lower tensile strengths or nonmetallic objects such as glass or plastic, medium density fiberboard or medium-density fiberboard. Unfortunately, however, this material should not be used with metal or very hard woods due to their hard surfaces.
Fused alumina with high chromium content is another widely-used abrasive material, offering smooth surfaces without producing excess heat or creating friction. While aluminum surfaces may benefit from using this abrasive alone, some professionals opt to alternate between white aluminum oxide and fused alumina during their sanding processes for best results.
To quickly determine what type of abrasive material your sandpaper contains, take a look at its label’s first letter code: aluminum oxide is represented by A, while silicon carbide by C. The rest of this code provides additional details regarding its grit size and other specific characteristics of material used; you may also be able to access this information online – for instance blast media products will show this info here.
Abrasive Types
Aluminum oxide and silicon carbide abrasive grains can be utilized for various blasting applications, including etching, paint removal, surface finishing, metal-to-ceramic bonding and polishing. Silicon carbide tends to be harder and sharper than aluminum oxide; both types can be utilized dry or wet blasting processes and with nonmetallic or low tensile strength materials.
Aluminum oxide and silicon carbide abrasive grains both consist of crystals. Aluminum oxide is made up of oxygen and aluminum atoms while silicon carbide contains carbon and silicon atoms. While both types can be extracted from nature for use as an abrasive, factory production usually ensures superior results.
Black silicon carbide (SiC) is widely utilized across industries including abrasive wheel, slurry and refractory manufacturing. SiC stands out as it can break apart into sharp particles as you use it, so that it can be reused multiple times like rock tumblers.
SiC can also come in the form of ruby and sapphire gemstones, whose unique colors result from minute impurities in their composition. They are sold vitreous-bonded as noncontaminating mounted stones for metal-ceramic alloy preparation for porcelain bonding applications as well as to remove residues from cast iron surfaces for creating smooth finishes.
Anvendelser
Silicon carbide and aluminum oxide abrasives are widely utilized to grind, sand, and polish different materials including metals. Many factors influence which abrasive best fits an application such as hardness, durability, material compatibility or hardness/durability characteristics – knowing these differences is essential in optimizing selection and performance of any abrasive.
Aluminum oxide comes in various grit sizes from coarse to fine textures, and has a relatively long abrasive life compared to other abrasives. Furthermore, its heat production is generally reduced making it suitable for use on wood and lacquers as well as non-contaminating titanium which is commonly found in aerospace applications.
Silicon Carbide is harder and more durable than aluminum oxide, making it suitable for cutting and grinding applications. Furthermore, its thermal conductivity and chemical stability makes it suitable for heat-sensitive applications.
Both abrasives are capable of working on most materials, although certain substrates respond more favorably to particular ones than others. Silicon carbide abrasives tend to work best on metals while aluminum oxide tends to perform best on wood. Silicon carbide has superior heat resistance for use under higher pressure sanding while providing better finish quality; however, aluminum oxide usually provides lower costs with similar finishes than silicon carbide.