Silicon Carbide Abrasive Wheel

Silicon carbide is a hard, dense material used for grinding materials that do not react with carbon, such as glass, ceramics and non-ferrous metals. Due to its low impurity levels it also makes an ideal candidate for semiconductor applications.

Aluminum oxide sanding belts excel at working on materials with high tensile strength, such as stainless steel and certain high-tensile bronze and aluminum alloys. Their closed coat provides optimal grain coverage.

1. High abrasion resistance

Silicon carbide is an extremely hard and resilient ceramic material, second only in terms of hardness to diamond, cubic boron nitride and tungsten carbide – making it the ideal material for harsh grinding applications and chemical corrosion resistance. Additionally, this ceramic resists chemical corrosion better than most others available on the market.

Abrasive wheels made of green silicon carbide are highly effective at grinding non-ferrous metals, cast iron, steel alloys and nonmetallic materials such as ceramic tiles. Green silicon carbide abrasive wheels are frequently utilized by maintenance departments and tool and die shops as well as used to sharpen and reshape metal tools used for carpentry or metal fabrication applications.

IMS offers a selection of sanding and deburring wheels suitable for use on various metals, from soft 2 density wheels for applications requiring conformability to hard, aggressive 8 density wheels designed for staging and finishing. When choosing an appropriate wheel for your project, take into consideration its type of metal being processed as well as any pressure you plan to apply during application.

An effective silicon carbide grit sanding wheel can quickly remove rust, dirt, paint, weld spatter and scale from stainless steel sheets with its silicon carbide grit surface sanding wheel, while producing beautiful brushed patterns on aluminum sheet. However, when working with metals with greater tensile strengths it may be necessary to use an abrasive with lower grit numbers and greater durability.

2. Long life

Silicon carbide abrasives have many applications for industrial use. More coarse-grained grades of silicon carbide abrasives are ideal for automotive polishing, deburring metal and glass objects and refinishing wood flooring; more fine grit sizes are perfect for automotive detailing applications, deburring metal parts and deburring glass pieces, deburring plastic parts and refinishing wooden flooring refinishing projects. Silicon carbide also finds extensive use in lapidary work to grind, etch, hones stones and marble surfaces while it can even hone stones into smooth finishes; its versatility means wet or dry use is particularly effective sanding applications.

Silicon carbide wheels will offer long service lives to their users due to their durability and long lifespan of abrasive grain. Furthermore, as soft bonding matrix wears away over time, fresh grains emerge that increase metal removal rates while providing consistent cuts.

Aluminum oxide abrasive grains are one of the most popular choices when it comes to abrasives. Available in three distinct hues — brown, white and pink — it works well across an array of materials such as painted surfaces and bare metal; plus its heat-generating capabilities make it great for woodwork and finishing applications.

Black silicon carbide and green silicon carbide are also highly-recognized abrasives that have become popular abrasive grains. Both varieties boast high hardness and brittleness, which make them suitable for grinding hard alloys such as titanium. Furthermore, their hardness also makes them superior to softer grains such as corundum or alumina for metal grinding because softer grains may fracture or contaminate workpiece surfaces when processing harder alloys like this one.

3. High efficiency

Silicon carbide’s hardness allows it to maintain cutting edges more efficiently than aluminum oxide, leading to higher material removal rates and superior surface finishes. Furthermore, silicon carbide provides excellent thermal conductivity and heat resistance properties which lowers risk during grinding sessions and minimize damage to workpieces from thermal damage.

Abrasive grains come in all shapes, sizes and grades. When combined with different bond types to form wheels for various materials and applications – for instance aluminum oxide is an effective abrasive for steel and iron applications; however it dulls quickly due to lack of cut rate and potential longevity compared with other abrasives; for more durable aluminum grinding a combination of aluminum oxide and silicon carbide may provide the solution.

Bond is the substance that holds together abrasive grains and determines its strength, hardness and resistance to wear. This bond may be made from different materials like vitrified, resinoid or rubber bonds.

Ceramic-bond wheels provide a versatile solution for abrasive machining and grinding of materials such as steel, cast iron, cemented carbide and nonferrous metals, such as those found in maintenance departments, tool and die shops and metal fabrication shops. Resin-bonded wheels can also be an effective choice when grinding ferrous metals like gray cast iron and brass as well as hard-to-grind materials like glass and ceramics.

4. Easy to maintain

Silicon carbide is easy to keep clean. No special cleaning solutions are necessary – just water will do. Furthermore, its resistance to corrosion and chemicals used in the abrasive industry makes it ideal for applications involving high temperatures or harsh environments, with low levels of impurity making it suitable semiconductor material in certain electronic applications.

Silicon carbide cup wheels come in various shapes, sizes and grits. For instance, there’s the taper-shaped silicon carbide cup wheel, with its circular base tapering out towards its tip for greater precision on corners or curves; ideal for reaching difficult areas more quickly. There’s also the cylinder-shaped silicon carbide wheel with its flat circular base and straight sides – perfect for cleaning hard to reach places quickly and effectively.

Silicon carbide should be used on nonmetallic or low tensile strength materials, while aluminum oxide works better for metal grinding wheels. You can combine both types for an increased abrasive effect on one project; this technique is especially popular with woodworkers who start off rough sanding using aluminum oxide and then switch over to silicon carbide for finishing. In this way, achieving flawless finishes without changing wheels too frequently becomes possible.