Abrasive materials in the field of industrial production

Abrasives are used in a wide variety of sectors in the field of industrial work. In general, they serve to achieve a targeted material removal from a surface. Hence, abrasive materials could also be called grinding media or grinding materials. They are frequently found in the form of grinding paper, grinding discs or other grinding tools. In addition to that, abrasive materials are also used in the form of liquids and loose abrasives. Abrasive materials are often manufactured based on mineral substances, as their hardness and reliable physical properties are well suited for a material removal. A distinction is made between naturally and synthetically manufactured abrasive material. When abrasive material is industrially used, the grinding properties required depend, to a great extent, on the respective industry standards. As the abrasive has to be adapted to the respective material to be processed with respect to its hardness and grain size, a profound knowledge of the respective material properties is indispensable. Only thus, a desired reliable and reproducible removal effect can be ensured. Besides the substance itself, the grain size is another important parameter for abrasive materials. It has a significant influence on the material removal.

 
 

Abrasive material in materialography

In materialographic practice, abrasive materials are used in different steps of the preparation process. They are used for cutting, grinding and polishing. Abrasives serve to sucessively remove material from the sample in a targeted manner and to provide a clean and smooth cut through the sample. As early as at the stage when the sample is cut, abrasive material on the cut-off wheel serves to ensure a possibly smooth cut. During the subsequent grinding process, it is used in the form of grinding papers and grinding films. Eventually, particularly fine-grained abrasive material is used to obtain a perfectly smooth surface during the polishing process. Abrasive material is used in numerous work steps in materialography and thus plays a key role. Hence, abrasive material used in materialographic applications is subject to particularly severe quality criteria.