Abrasives

Abrasives are types of materials that are used to smooth off rough surfaces and edges on other materials. The best known abrasive here is probably sand paper. Abrasives are used in the home on DIY projects and in a variety of commercial and manufacturing processes.

The materials used to produce abrasive products are usually extremely hard and rough materials such as some mineral products and types of stone. Common abrasive substances include sand, diamonds, emery, pumice and glass. In general terms the abrasive that are sold for standard home or commercial use will either be bonded or coated abrasives.

The term bonded abrasive is used to describe an object on to which an abrasive has been set. So, for example, a grinding wheel used in manufacturing will usually be a bonded abrasive set on to the wheel. Coasted abrasives occur when an abrasive is set on to a piece of backing - sand paper is the most commonly used type of coated abrasive in general terms here.

Abrasives can also be added to other products to produce varying degrees of abrasive effects. Some toothpastes, for example, contain soft abrasives to help clean teeth more effectively. And many cleaning products will also contain a mild abrasive to help scour surfaces clean.