Silicon carbide grit features sharp, hard grains that easily cut corners and points for quick cuts at an economical cost compared to diamond or boron carbide grit.
Silicon carbide dust can be harmful if inhaled directly. Therefore, appropriate protective equipment such as masks should be utilized and activities involving this abrasive should take place in well-ventilated spaces.
Hardhet
Silicon carbide (SiC) stands out among abrasives as one of the hardest materials. With a Mohs hardness rating of 9.5, SiC competes with diamond and cubic boron nitride as an extremely hard material abrasive material with excellent chemical and oxidation resistance properties.
SiC’s hardness makes it a popular choice for grinding materials that exhibit lower ductility and tensile strength, such as ceramics. Furthermore, SiC abrasives have more durability than their aluminum oxide and brown fused alumina counterparts.
Green SiC is composed of silicon and carbon atoms arranged in a layered structure of silicon-carbon bonds arranged tetrahedrally. This gives rise to its extreme hardness – which nearly doubles that of brown fused alumina. Furthermore, its excellent thermal stability, wear-resistance capability and resistance against acidic etching make this material particularly desirable for use.
Black silicon carbide media can be acid washed in two steps to avoid degradation and improve granule size distribution, making it more effective than brown fused alumina in terms of blasting performance and particle shape.
Salem Fabrication Supply is proud to offer high-quality abrasives like our black silicon carbide grit. Each piece is hand inspected for quality, workmanship and grade consistency before it can be included in our media supply. Ideal for tumbling gemstones, micro-etching glass and metal/stone engraving applications.
Angularity
Silicon carbide grit has an approximate Mohs scale hardness rating of 9.5, placing it only behind diamond in terms of hardness, making it one of the hardest abrasives available on the market. Not only that, but its durability also includes low thermal expansion and high heat resistance properties which make it suitable for grinding hard materials like concrete.
Manufacturers employ silicon carbide grains in various grit sizes for blasting operations, from fine grits that produce smooth finishes to coarse ones that remove material more slowly. Silicon carbide also serves as blasting media used by specialized machinery that shoots it at high speed across hard surfaces to remove rust or contaminants and prepare surfaces for painting.
Sand, silica, and aluminum oxide materials such as aluminum oxide can all be used in blasting operations, but their textures tend to be too uniform and smooth for effective rock abrasing during tumbling. Quality silicon carbide grit stands out as it comes in angular particles with sharp edges and points – much unlike beach, river and wind-blown sands which feature rounder particles which do not readily abrade rocks during this stage of polishing sequences with rotary tumblers. In comparison, quality silicon carbide grit features angular particles with sharp edges compared with rounder particles found elsewhere such as beach, river and windblown sands; unlike beach, river and windblown sands which are more difficult for polishing rocks when using rotary tumblers. In contrast this photo shows ungraded 60/90 silicon carbide grit which would work effectively at abrading rocks more effectively during polishing steps three stage of three-step rock polishing sequence with rotary tumbler.
Inexpensive
Silicon carbide is one of the most cost-effective abrasive materials on the market, used in products like grinding wheels, sandpaper, knife sharpeners and knife sharpeners. Furthermore, silicon carbide can also be found being utilized for sand blasting, water-jet cutting and other industrial processes.
Silicon carbide grit for sale as an abrasive is manufactured from moissanite mineral found naturally. All commercial silicon carbide grit abrasive sold as an abrasive is created through melting petroleum coke and sand in an electric furnace before crushing and screening it to various sizes to form “grits” and powders that can then be used in applications like sandblasting, grinding, polishing and other forms of abrasion.
Silicon carbide abrasive grains feature angular particles with sharp points and edges, making them highly effective at cutting, grinding and polishing when caught between rocks in a tumbler barrel. Furthermore, silicon carbide is very affordable – typically costing under a dollar per pound when sold packaged and screened as an end product.
Tumblers are used by both hobbyists and professional craftsmen to polish gemstones, deburr metal parts and other hard materials into smoother finishes. People generally add two level tablespoons of grit per pound of rock being tumbled when using a rotary tumbler; when using vibratory tumblers this step usually comes as step 2. Additionally, as it features coarse grinding action it makes an excellent choice for dealing with rough materials.
Allsidighet
Silicon carbide can be utilized in numerous artistic and craft applications, taking advantage of its hardness to smooth surfaces for painting or finishing or remove imperfections in surfaces that need smoothing out prior to painting or finishing. Furthermore, silicon carbide serves as a raw material in creating advanced ceramics and refractory materials.
Silicon carbide comes in both black and green hues, often being used to manufacture coated abrasives like sandpaper or sanding discs. Furthermore, the material can also be found in tools, wheels and industrial cutting equipment; its grit can even be found cutting metal surfaces such as ceramics as well as hard nonmetallic materials like granite. Its versatility also extends into manufacturing tools as well as industrial cutting equipment – its uses range widely from cutting metal, ceramics or any hard non-metallic materials into manufacturing tools, wheels abrasives wheels abrasives used in industrial cutting equipment manufacturing tools manufacturing tools abrasive wheels abrasives can cut and grind metal surfaces whilst simultaneously cutting metal materials like ceramics as well as hard nonmetallic ones like granite.
Silicon carbide is an incredibly durable material, yet it still comes with certain drawbacks that should be considered before choosing it for tumbling or grinding applications. Not recommended for applications requiring long-lasting and consistent abrasives like removing rust, refinishing wood floors and cleaning glass surfaces – in such instances using diamond-grinding discs may offer greater precision.
Silicon carbide grit’s main drawbacks include its brittleness and the potential risk to health from exposure to dust when sanding or grinding, necessitating wearing a mask while working in well-ventilated areas for protection. While the dust itself is not toxic, inhalation could occur without proper management.