Non-metallic abrasives are abrasives that are made up of either natural abrasive materials or synthetic abrasive materials that do not contain any metal. Abrasives are commonly used in a broad range of technological, industrial and domestic applications.
Abrasives refer to the quality of a material, usually a mineral, used to finish or shape work pieces through rubbing, leading to wear and tear. It is similar to polishing, which is used to achieve a reflective and smooth surface that also involves roughening such as in matte or satin finishes.
Abrasives are commonly used in processes such as:
- Polishing
- Grinding
- Honing
- Buffing
- Sharpening
- Drilling
- Sanding
Abrasives are widely classified as metallic or non-metallic.
Natural abrasive materials include silica sand, flint and other silica bearing materials such as olivine and staurolite, garnet, calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and vegetable abrasives. Silica sand is a very good abrasive; it is hard, gives a superb finish to almost any substrate, is available almost everywhere in the world and is generally the lowest cost abrasive.
Synthetic abrasive materials include calcium, sintered or calcined bauxite, grit and glass beads and plastics.