Sydney Tools is Australia's leading supplier & distributor of abrasives, grinding, cutting and sanding products, blasting equipment & consumables. We specialise in a comprehensive range of bonded and coated industrial abrasives for all applications.
What is an Abrasive? An abrasive is a material, often a mineral, that is used to shape or finish a workpiece through rubbing which leads to part of the workpiece being worn away.
Abrasives are extremely commonplace and are used very extensively in a wide variety of industrial, domestic, and technological applications. This gives rise to a large variation in the physical and chemical composition of abrasives as well as the shape of the abrasive. Common uses for abrasives include grinding, polishing, buffing, honing, cutting, drilling, sharpening, lapping, and sanding.
Some factors which will affect how quickly a substance is abraded include:
* Difference in hardness between the two substances: a much harder abrasive will cut faster and deeper
* Grain size (grit size): larger grains will cut faster as they also cut deeper
* Adhesion between grains, between grains and backing, between grains and matrix: determines how quickly grains are lost from the abrasive and how soon fresh grains, if present, are exposed
* Contact force: more force will cause faster abrasion
* Loading: worn abrasive and cast off work material tends to fill spaces between abrasive grains so reducing cutting efficiency while increasing friction
* Use of lubricant/coolant/metalworking fluid: Can carry away swarf (preventing loading), transport heat (which may affect the physical properties of the workpiece or the abrasive), decrease friction (with the substrate or matrix), suspend worn work material and abrasives allowing for a finer finish, conduct stress to the workpiece.
