Chart: Abrasive Types
2″x72″ grinder belt abrasives come is a wide (and evolving) range of materials and formats.
Here’s my understanding of the abrasive materials (additions and corrections welcome):
Abrasive | Notes |
Aluminum Oxide | General purpose. Low price. Limited life. |
Silicon Carbide | Aggressive but short lived on steel. Better for soft materials – like handle materials – or in fine grits where less pressure is used. |
Alumina Zirconia aka Zirc | Better for heavy-duty steel stock removal. Requires pressure to keep cutting (to break out new cutting surfaces). |
Ceramics | Best overall for heavy-duty stock removal. Higher cost should be offset by long life of the belts. |
And then there is the way in which the abrasive is attached (and structured) on the belt. And again – let me know if you have additions or corrections.
Type | Notes |
Standard | The abrasive is evenly distributed on the belt. |
Gator | The abrasive is stacked thickly in a diagonal grid of brick-like mounds – with spaces between. Long lasting, cooler cutting. |
Seeded Gel (SG) | The grit is suspended in a gel. Spent grit is pulled out, revealing new sharp grit, which keeps the belt sharper, longer. |
Closed Coat | The grit completely covers the backing. This makes a very even and aggressive belt, but is subject to clogging with soft or gummy materials. |
Open Coat | The grit covers 50% to 70% the backing. The belt may not be as aggressive as a closed coat version – but it won’t clog up as easily on softwoods, non-ferrous metals, or synthetic handle material. |