May. 13, 2024
Choosing the ideal sandpaper/abrasive type depends on the material you use it on and the finish you desire. When comparing silicon carbide vs. aluminum oxide (alumina), they do have some differences, but both are popular options for metalwork and sanding wood surfaces because of their performance level, lower prices, and versatility.
If you weren’t an earth science buff in high school, you might not know the difference between these abrasive tools. Below we have compared the two options and go over their best applications to help you make an informed decision for your next project.
In basic terms, an abrasive grain is a sharp and hard material used to wear down another material when moving in contact with applied pressure. One of the most used abrasives products is sandpaper, which manufacturers often make with silicon carbide (SiC) or aluminum oxide (Al2O3). These are the two most common abrasives types. They account for nearly 90% of the total amount of domestically-produced abrasive grains.
Other common abrasive materials include zirconia alumina, cubic boron nitride, synthetic diamonds, ceramic alumina, garnet, emery, quartz, silica sand, and crocus. Many of these abrasive grains mentioned are used to manufacture other types of abrasive products like grinding wheels, flap discs, flap wheels, and sanding belts.
The particles that form sandpaper grit need a sharp shape and high hardness values to become abrasive. You will often find them designated with a Grit number that describes their grain size. The Grit number will detail the number of small openings per inch in the screen that the grain passes. The values range from No. 4 to No. 2500, with particle sizes varying from a few millimeters to under two micrometers.
To determine the type of abrasives on your product, bonded abrasives and sanding discs have a code on the label that tell you the make-up. The symbol for aluminum oxide is A, and the one for silicon carbide is C. You can find this symbol in the first position from the left, followed by the characteristics of the particular abrasive, such as grit size and sometimes other special characteristics. See the image below for an example.
Choosing the correct sandpaper/abrasive can make the sanding/grinding process less time-consuming by smoothing the surface faster. You can improve the surface finish by using specific abrasives, techniques, and pressures, depending on the material. The right abrasives will reduce friction and heat, letting you preserve the abrasive longer and avoid burning the material.
Aluminum oxide sandpaper is the most widely used grain because it works very well on most metals, wood, and painted surfaces. The material is durable and cheaper to produce than most of the alternatives as well.
Aluminum oxide abrasives do come in different colors. You can find brown, white, and pink aluminum oxides, with brown being the most common.
White and pink will wear down faster, but they produce a smoother finish. These two aluminum oxides compare most to silicon carbide. You can find white aluminum oxide in coarse through fine textures. It works best on wood and lacquers as it produces less heat. You can also use white grains between finishing coats on wood. Pink aluminum oxide comes in coarse through fine textures, and you can use it on softer woods.
Brown aluminum oxide lasts longer since its grains break down far slower than the pink and white varieties. You can find it in coarse through micro-grit textures, and it can sand high-hardness materials like metals, drywall, fiberglass, wood, and painted surfaces. While the surface finish does not look as smooth as pink or white, you can more affordably and quickly grind your object with brown aluminum oxide.
You can find friable, semi-friable, regular, and heavy-duty aluminum oxides. Instead of dulling down, friable abrasive grains break to re-sharpen when used, constantly exposing sharp edges. Coarser grits can remove metal stock by letting the grains re-sharpen this way, while the smaller grains can finish metal surfaces.
Brown aluminum oxide is semi-friable. The grains will break and re-sharpen, but they take more use to break. The benefit of this is a longer lasting abrasive.
If you are using aluminum oxide sanding belts, you will find open, closed, and flexible closed coats. An open coat works best on soft metals and woods because of its 60% - 65% grain coverage.
Closed coats cover 90% - 95% of the belt surface, making these coatings the most appropriate for hard non-ferrous and ferrous metals. Lastly, a flexible closed coat sanding belt applies to recessed and curved surfaces on harder woods and metals.
You can only use aluminum oxide sanding belts for dry operations. If you plan to use a metal grinding wheel, you can utilize aluminum oxide on materials with high tensile strengths, like stainless steel and high tensile bronze and aluminum alloys.
Silicon carbide sandpaper is the hardest and sharpest common abrasive, but it lacks durability due to its brittleness. Also, the narrow particle size wears down faster. The grains are razor-sharp so that they can sand metal, marble, glass, stone, cork, medium-density fiberboard, and plastic with minimal pressure. However, they struggle to sand harder metals and wood.
Silicon carbide works well on rough surfaces and for polishing. It is more friable than aluminum oxide, and you can use it in wet sanding operations. You can polish parts in automotive applications, remove rust, refinish wood floors, deburr metal, smooth glass edges, and sand between finishing coats.
Most people use silicon carbide sandpaper in conjunction with aluminum oxide. People will perform a rough sanding with aluminum oxide abrasives and finish off the project with silicon carbide. That way, you can produce a smooth surface finish without wearing down your sandpaper.
You can find friable (green) and regular (black) silicon carbide, with the friable being purer and harder yet more brittle than the regular variety.
Black silicon carbide can grind non-ferrous metals, ceramics, and hard nonmetals, while the green option works best for polishing purposes. However, it is not recommended to grind steel with silicon carbide.
Silicon carbide sanding belts work well on harder materials like wood finishes, stone, metal, paint, and softer ones like rubber, glass, and plastic. The grains will microfracture with repeated use (friability), making them unsuitable for softwood as they will not sharpen the edge. These belts have a closed coat with optimal grain coverage, so you can apply grain to a hard material or finish the surface with sealers or lacquers.
The grinding wheels and sanding discs work well on materials like cast iron, aluminum, and cemented carbide. If your project involves a nonmetallic or low tensile strength material, you will want to use silicon carbide rather than aluminum oxide.
The best sandpaper for metal depends on the material composition of the metal, but aluminum oxide works well in general. While silicon carbide can handle many hard and soft metals, it does not perform well on steel or stainless steel. Aluminum oxide can wear down the steel surface efficiently, but it may not create the smoothest finish.
Ceramic alumina and zirconia alumina can do a better job than aluminum oxide at sanding steel. They produce less friction and have greater durability, but they cost much more. However, the budget-friendly aluminum oxide can handle softer steel alloys. In the battle of silicon carbide vs. aluminum oxide, neither can sand stainless steel as well as ceramic or zirc, but aluminum oxide is a cost effective way to do minor work.
Actually, both. The best abrasives for aluminum grinding are often made with a special formulation of both alumina and silicon carbide. An additional lubricant is added to many of these hybrid abrasive products. The goal is to grind aluminum without creating too much heat that would damage this soft metal. The combination of both abrasives with a lubricant protects the abrasive from loading and building up too much heat that would melt soft metals like aluminum.
Well, we have abrasives answers. If the article above didn’t answer your question, we’re here to talk it through with you. Our abrasives experts are available via the chat function below, by phone, and email to discuss your abrasives needs.
Operations rely on blasting media for stripping, cleaning and polishing, which helps to create a sleek and professional final product. Aluminum oxide and silicon carbide are two popular abrasives for metal and wood finishing, and they are often compared to one another. While both are versatile and cost-effective, their characteristics make them ideal for some applications and less so others.
Aluminum oxide blast media tends to be the most popular choice for use on painted surfaces, wood and most types of metal. These abrasives are also affordable and long-lasting to keep production up at lower costs. Aluminum oxide comes in three colors — pink, white and brown — each with different uses.
The white and pink forms of aluminum oxide create smoother finishes than the typical brown. White is most efficient for processes involving wood and lacquers because it generates less heat and offers exceptional performance in precision applications. Pink works best on softer woods and in sharpening or grinding operations. Their primary drawback is lower durability than the brown varieties.
Brown aluminum oxide, which works best on hard materials, offers affordability and extended wear because its grains take longer to deteriorate. The grits also sharpen themselves as they break, called semifriable grain. Coarser grains wear as they remove larger metal burrs, leaving smoother grains behind for more refined finishes.
Brown aluminum oxide is also highly recyclable, meaning it can handle many blast cycles before needing a replacement. As a result, this option is the most cost-effective blasting abrasive.
Like many carbides, silicon carbide blast media is sharp and extremely hard. This toughness makes the abrasive perfect for ceramics, glass, stone, marble, fiberglass and many plastics.
Silicon carbide contains narrow, pointed edges, and you can use it several times without replacement for shorter blast cycles on softer materials. It etches well and prepares the underlying material for finishing coatings. Yet, its hardness can generate faster wear and makes it a less suitable choice for wood or harder metals like steel.
Versatility is the most significant advantage of silicon carbide blasting mediasilicon carbide blasting media. You can use silicon carbide in either direct-pressure or suction-based systems. You can also use it alongside aluminum oxide in finishing operations — the latter for general residue removal and the former for polishing. You’ll save wear on the less durable silicon carbide abrasives while still creating smooth finishes in either individual finishing or blast tumbling.
Silicon carbide is safe for use in wet or volatile environments. It produces no static electricity that can ignite and has very little magnetism. These abrasives offer both friable and nonfriable options to extend the wear.
Aluminum oxide is the better abrasive media for grinding steel. While silicon carbide is sharper and harder than aluminum oxide, it’s also more brittle. This brittleness will cause it to wear rapidly on a hard surface like steel. If you try to use silicon carbide on steel, you would likely have to use several rounds of the abrasive to see any effect on the surface.
Aluminum oxide is highly durable. When grinding steel, brown aluminum oxide will present the most beneficial qualities for a moderately smooth steel finish. You might use pink aluminum oxide after brown to refine the surface further.
Aluminum is a soft metal and benefits from a mixture of aluminum oxide and silicon carbide. When working with aluminum, you need a hard abrasive for an even finish, but you want to minimize heat generation. Silicon carbide offers ideal qualities for low-tensile strength metals like aluminum, so it may work well on its own. However, it depends on your applications.
You might start the grinding process with aluminum oxide, then refine it with silicon carbide. White aluminum oxide is an excellent choice for aluminum surfaces because it offers precision without generating too much heat.
The choice between aluminum oxide and silicon carbide depends on your application. If you’re working with non-metallic or low-tensile strength materials, consider silicon carbide. Aluminum oxide is better for high-tensile strength materials like steel, bronze and aluminum alloys.
Using a combination of the two is recommended for precision refining. While aluminum grinding is an example of using both, it’s also an ideal practice for woodworking applications, too.
The experts at Finishing Systems can help you find the right abrasives for your applications. We carry aluminum oxide and silicon carbide to support your stripping and finishing goals. With friable, semi-friable and standard varieties, our products have maximum versatility. Get in touch with us today.
Choosing the ideal sandpaper/abrasive type depends on the material you use it on and the finish you desire. When comparing silicon carbide vs. aluminum oxide (alumina), they do have some differences, but both are popular options for metalwork and sanding wood surfaces because of their performance level, lower prices, and versatility.
If you weren’t an earth science buff in high school, you might not know the difference between these abrasive tools. Below we have compared the two options and go over their best applications to help you make an informed decision for your next project.
In basic terms, an abrasive grain is a sharp and hard material used to wear down another material when moving in contact with applied pressure. One of the most used abrasives products is sandpaper, which manufacturers often make with silicon carbide (SiC) or aluminum oxide (Al2O3). These are the two most common abrasives types. They account for nearly 90% of the total amount of domestically-produced abrasive grains.
Other common abrasive materials include zirconia alumina, cubic boron nitride, synthetic diamonds, ceramic alumina, garnet, emery, quartz, silica sand, and crocus. Many of these abrasive grains mentioned are used to manufacture other types of abrasive products like grinding wheels, flap discs, flap wheels, and sanding belts.
The particles that form sandpaper grit need a sharp shape and high hardness values to become abrasive. You will often find them designated with a Grit number that describes their grain size. The Grit number will detail the number of small openings per inch in the screen that the grain passes. The values range from No. 4 to No. 2500, with particle sizes varying from a few millimeters to under two micrometers.
To determine the type of abrasives on your product, bonded abrasives and sanding discs have a code on the label that tell you the make-up. The symbol for aluminum oxide is A, and the one for silicon carbide is C. You can find this symbol in the first position from the left, followed by the characteristics of the particular abrasive, such as grit size and sometimes other special characteristics. See the image below for an example.
Choosing the correct sandpaper/abrasive can make the sanding/grinding process less time-consuming by smoothing the surface faster. You can improve the surface finish by using specific abrasives, techniques, and pressures, depending on the material. The right abrasives will reduce friction and heat, letting you preserve the abrasive longer and avoid burning the material.
Aluminum oxide sandpaper is the most widely used grain because it works very well on most metals, wood, and painted surfaces. The material is durable and cheaper to produce than most of the alternatives as well.
Aluminum oxide abrasives do come in different colors. You can find brown, white, and pink aluminum oxides, with brown being the most common.
White and pink will wear down faster, but they produce a smoother finish. These two aluminum oxides compare most to silicon carbide. You can find white aluminum oxide in coarse through fine textures. It works best on wood and lacquers as it produces less heat. You can also use white grains between finishing coats on wood. Pink aluminum oxide comes in coarse through fine textures, and you can use it on softer woods.
Brown aluminum oxide lasts longer since its grains break down far slower than the pink and white varieties. You can find it in coarse through micro-grit textures, and it can sand high-hardness materials like metals, drywall, fiberglass, wood, and painted surfaces. While the surface finish does not look as smooth as pink or white, you can more affordably and quickly grind your object with brown aluminum oxide.
You can find friable, semi-friable, regular, and heavy-duty aluminum oxides. Instead of dulling down, friable abrasive grains break to re-sharpen when used, constantly exposing sharp edges. Coarser grits can remove metal stock by letting the grains re-sharpen this way, while the smaller grains can finish metal surfaces.
Brown aluminum oxide is semi-friable. The grains will break and re-sharpen, but they take more use to break. The benefit of this is a longer lasting abrasive.
If you are using aluminum oxide sanding belts, you will find open, closed, and flexible closed coats. An open coat works best on soft metals and woods because of its 60% - 65% grain coverage.
Closed coats cover 90% - 95% of the belt surface, making these coatings the most appropriate for hard non-ferrous and ferrous metals. Lastly, a flexible closed coat sanding belt applies to recessed and curved surfaces on harder woods and metals.
You can only use aluminum oxide sanding belts for dry operations. If you plan to use a metal grinding wheel, you can utilize aluminum oxide on materials with high tensile strengths, like stainless steel and high tensile bronze and aluminum alloys.
Silicon carbide sandpaper is the hardest and sharpest common abrasive, but it lacks durability due to its brittleness. Also, the narrow particle size wears down faster. The grains are razor-sharp so that they can sand metal, marble, glass, stone, cork, medium-density fiberboard, and plastic with minimal pressure. However, they struggle to sand harder metals and wood.
Silicon carbide works well on rough surfaces and for polishing. It is more friable than aluminum oxide, and you can use it in wet sanding operations. You can polish parts in automotive applications, remove rust, refinish wood floors, deburr metal, smooth glass edges, and sand between finishing coats.
Most people use silicon carbide sandpaper in conjunction with aluminum oxide. People will perform a rough sanding with aluminum oxide abrasives and finish off the project with silicon carbide. That way, you can produce a smooth surface finish without wearing down your sandpaper.
You can find friable (green) and regular (black) silicon carbide, with the friable being purer and harder yet more brittle than the regular variety.
Black silicon carbide can grind non-ferrous metals, ceramics, and hard nonmetals, while the green option works best for polishing purposes. However, it is not recommended to grind steel with silicon carbide.
Silicon carbide sanding belts work well on harder materials like wood finishes, stone, metal, paint, and softer ones like rubber, glass, and plastic. The grains will microfracture with repeated use (friability), making them unsuitable for softwood as they will not sharpen the edge. These belts have a closed coat with optimal grain coverage, so you can apply grain to a hard material or finish the surface with sealers or lacquers.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of purple reflective fire glass. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
The grinding wheels and sanding discs work well on materials like cast iron, aluminum, and cemented carbide. If your project involves a nonmetallic or low tensile strength material, you will want to use silicon carbide rather than aluminum oxide.
The best sandpaper for metal depends on the material composition of the metal, but aluminum oxide works well in general. While silicon carbide can handle many hard and soft metals, it does not perform well on steel or stainless steel. Aluminum oxide can wear down the steel surface efficiently, but it may not create the smoothest finish.
Ceramic alumina and zirconia alumina can do a better job than aluminum oxide at sanding steel. They produce less friction and have greater durability, but they cost much more. However, the budget-friendly aluminum oxide can handle softer steel alloys. In the battle of silicon carbide vs. aluminum oxide, neither can sand stainless steel as well as ceramic or zirc, but aluminum oxide is a cost effective way to do minor work.
Actually, both. The best abrasives for aluminum grinding are often made with a special formulation of both alumina and silicon carbide. An additional lubricant is added to many of these hybrid abrasive products. The goal is to grind aluminum without creating too much heat that would damage this soft metal. The combination of both abrasives with a lubricant protects the abrasive from loading and building up too much heat that would melt soft metals like aluminum.
Well, we have abrasives answers. If the article above didn’t answer your question, we’re here to talk it through with you. Our abrasives experts are available via the chat function below, by phone, and email to discuss your abrasives needs.
Operations rely on blasting media for stripping, cleaning and polishing, which helps to create a sleek and professional final product. Aluminum oxide and silicon carbide are two popular abrasives for metal and wood finishing, and they are often compared to one another. While both are versatile and cost-effective, their characteristics make them ideal for some applications and less so others.
Aluminum oxide blast media tends to be the most popular choice for use on painted surfaces, wood and most types of metal. These abrasives are also affordable and long-lasting to keep production up at lower costs. Aluminum oxide comes in three colors — pink, white and brown — each with different uses.
The white and pink forms of aluminum oxide create smoother finishes than the typical brown. White is most efficient for processes involving wood and lacquers because it generates less heat and offers exceptional performance in precision applications. Pink works best on softer woods and in sharpening or grinding operations. Their primary drawback is lower durability than the brown varieties.
Brown aluminum oxide, which works best on hard materials, offers affordability and extended wear because its grains take longer to deteriorate. The grits also sharpen themselves as they break, called semifriable grain. Coarser grains wear as they remove larger metal burrs, leaving smoother grains behind for more refined finishes.
Brown aluminum oxide is also highly recyclable, meaning it can handle many blast cycles before needing a replacement. As a result, this option is the most cost-effective blasting abrasive.
Like many carbides, silicon carbide blast media is sharp and extremely hard. This toughness makes the abrasive perfect for ceramics, glass, stone, marble, fiberglass and many plastics.
Silicon carbide contains narrow, pointed edges, and you can use it several times without replacement for shorter blast cycles on softer materials. It etches well and prepares the underlying material for finishing coatings. Yet, its hardness can generate faster wear and makes it a less suitable choice for wood or harder metals like steel.
Versatility is the most significant advantage of silicon carbide blasting media. You can use silicon carbide in either direct-pressure or suction-based systems. You can also use it alongside aluminum oxide in finishing operations — the latter for general residue removal and the former for polishing. You’ll save wear on the less durable silicon carbide abrasives while still creating smooth finishes in either individual finishing or blast tumbling.
Silicon carbide is safe for use in wet or volatile environments. It produces no static electricity that can ignite and has very little magnetism. These abrasives offer both friable and nonfriable options to extend the wear.
Aluminum oxide is the better abrasive media for grinding steel. While silicon carbide is sharper and harder than aluminum oxide, it’s also more brittle. This brittleness will cause it to wear rapidly on a hard surface like steel. If you try to use silicon carbide on steel, you would likely have to use several rounds of the abrasive to see any effect on the surface.
Aluminum oxide is highly durable. When grinding steel, brown aluminum oxide will present the most beneficial qualities for a moderately smooth steel finish. You might use pink aluminum oxide after brown to refine the surface further.
Aluminum is a soft metal and benefits from a mixture of aluminum oxide and silicon carbide. When working with aluminum, you need a hard abrasive for an even finish, but you want to minimize heat generation. Silicon carbide offers ideal qualities for low-tensile strength metals like aluminum, so it may work well on its own. However, it depends on your applications.
You might start the grinding process with aluminum oxide, then refine it with silicon carbide. White aluminum oxide is an excellent choice for aluminum surfaces because it offers precision without generating too much heat.
The choice between aluminum oxide and silicon carbide depends on your application. If you’re working with non-metallic or low-tensile strength materials, consider silicon carbide. Aluminum oxide is better for high-tensile strength materials like steel, bronze and aluminum alloys.
Using a combination of the two is recommended for precision refining. While aluminum grinding is an example of using both, it’s also an ideal practice for woodworking applications, too.
The experts at Finishing Systems can help you find the right abrasives for your applications. We carry aluminum oxide and silicon carbide to support your stripping and finishing goals. With friable, semi-friable and standard varieties, our products have maximum versatility. Get in touch with us today.
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