Coated Abrasives Glossary

• Adhesive

  The glue or other substance that holds coated abrasives to the backing material.

• Aluminum Oxide

  A widely used abrasive with many varieties that may be naturally occurred or manufactured. Aluminum oxide is favored for its toughness and long life.

• Attrition

  Tool wear caused by the friction of grinding.

• Backing

  Fabric, paper, or other material on which coated abrasives are adhered.

• Belt

  A length of backing material that has been joined end to end and coated with abrasive particles.

• Bonding Agent

  The use of an abrasive to wear away at the surface of a workpiece and change its shape.

• Burr

  A rough edge remaining on metal after it has been cut or perforated.

• Chip

  A small particle of material that is removed during grinding, cutting, or abrasive processes.

• Chuck

  A clamping device that grips the post or shank of a mounted grinding tool.

• Closed Coat

  A dense arrangement of abrasive grains on a coated abrasive wheel or belt.

• Coated Abrasive

  A belt or flat wheel composed of abrasive grains that are adhered to a backing material with an adhesive.

• Cubic Boron Nitride

  A type of material offering a hardness that is second only to diamond. CBN tools are very effective at grinding most steels and cast irons, but they are also very expensive.

• Diamond

  A naturally occurring or manufactured stone made of crystalline carbon that is used as an abrasive because of its extreme hardness. Diamond is the hardest available material.

• Finishing

  Any machining process that surfaces, conditions, edges, cleans, etc. a part or component. Usually the last step in the machining process.

• Garnet

  A red silicate material used as an abrasive. Usually pink or reddish in color, it is often used for polishing.

• Grain

  A small, hard particle or crystal of abrasive.

• Grinding

  The use of an abrasive to wear away at the surface of a workpiece and change its shape.

• Hardness

  The ability of a material to resist penetration and scratching.

• Lapping

  A precision abrasion process used to bring a surface to a desired state of finish or dimensional tolerance by removing an extremely small amount of material.

• Make Coat

  The layer of adhesive that goes between the backing material and the abrasive grains.

• Mandrel

  The shaft on which honing stones are mounted.

• Natural Abrasive

  A hard material found in the earth that is used to shape other materials by grinding or abrading. Sand and quartz are both natural abrasives.

• Open Coat

  A more sparse arrangement of abrasive grains on a coated abrasive wheel or belt. Organic Bond a bond made of a carbon-based material. Organic bonds tend to soften under the heat of grinding.

• Resinoid Bond

  An organic bond used in grinding tools that offers rapid stock removal and finer finishes.

• Rubber Bond

  An organic bond used in grinding wheels that offers smooth grinding action and fine finishing.

• Shank

  The stalk or post on which a grinding tool is mounted.

• Silicon Carbide

  A hard and brittle abrasive used on nonferrous materials. Silicon carbide is often used to grind aluminum.

• Size Coat

  The final layer of adhesive that goes on top of the abrasive grains that are already adhered to the backing material by the make coat.

• Structure

  The relationship among the grains, bonds, and space in an abrasive grinding tool.

• Synthetic Abrasive

  A material of extreme hardness manufactured through chemical and/or physical processes that is used to shape other materials by a grinding or abrading action.

• Tolerance

  The unwanted but acceptable deviation from the desired dimension.

• Vitrified Bond

  A clay or ceramic bond characterized by its strength, rigidity, and resistance to oils, water, or temperature changes.