Home / News & Blog / Abrasive Blog / How to Choose the Right Abrasive Grains for Coated Abrasives Manufacturing
Picking the right abrasive material for coated abrasives is key to getting the best performance in grinding, polishing, and surface finishing. Abrasive material generally fall into two categories: synthetic abrasive and natural abrasive. In modern manufacturing, synthetic abrasives like Brown Fused Alumina (BFA), White Fused Alumina (WFA), Zirconia Alumina, and Black Silicon Carbide are the go-to choice because of their consistent chemical composition, hardness, and stable crystal structure.
This guide breaks down how to choose the best abrasive material and grit size based on what you’re working on and the finish you need.
Best for carbon steel, alloy steel, malleable cast iron, non-ferrous metals, and hard bronze.
Works well on materials with hardness below 55HRC and tensile strength under 700 MPa.
Ideal for hardened steel, high-carbon steel, stainless steel, and high-hardness alloy steel.
A great choice for workpieces with hardness over 55HRC.
Recommended for stainless steel, high-molybdenum steel, heat-resistant alloys, titanium alloys, brass, bronze, gray cast iron, nickel-chromium alloys, cobalt-chromium alloys, and tungsten-cobalt alloys.
Perfect for metals and non-metals with low tensile strength and high toughness, like glass, fiberglass, ceramics, wood, particleboard, and fiberboard.
Best for hard, brittle materials like carbide, glass, jade, monocrystalline silicon, engineering ceramics, premium coatings, piano panel coatings, and sewing machine head coatings.
Key Factors to Consider
How much material needs to be removed? If you need high removal rates, go for coarse grit. If you need a smooth surface, use fine grit.
What material are you grinding? Harder materials need finer grit, while softer ones do better with coarser grit.
Dry or wet grinding? Dry grinding usually works better with coarser grit, while wet grinding requires finer grit.
Machine speed: Faster belt speeds work best with finer grit, while slower speeds need coarser grit.
Grit Size Recommendations
Heavy-duty tasks (e.g., rust removal, weld grinding): P16–P24
Metal deburring & general grinding: P36–P46
Polishing stainless steel (Ra 0.8–0.2 μm): P60–P100
Ultra-precise work (e.g., steel rolling mill rollers): W20
Abrasive Belts vs. Grinding Wheels
Abrasive belts typically grind faster than wheels because:
More abrasive grains engage the surface, leading to deeper penetration.
Even grain distribution ensures a consistent cut.
For example:
A P36–P46 grinding wheel can be swapped for a P46–P60 abrasive belt.
A P60–P80 grinding wheel (achieving Ra 0.8–0.4 μm) can be replaced with a P80–P100 abrasive belt.
High-speed sanding machines need finer grit (e.g., P60 for 32 m/s machines vs. P36–P46 for 15–20 m/s machines).
Metal vs. Non-metal Workpieces: When surface quality needs are the same, metals require finer grit, while non-metals can use coarser grit.
Contact area: A larger contact area requires coarser grit, while a smaller area needs finer grit.
Choosing the right abrasive material and grit size for coated abrasives has a huge impact on grinding efficiency, surface finish, and production quality. Understanding your material and application needs helps optimize your choice, improving both productivity and quality.
At DOMILL, we specialize in premium Brown Fused Alumina, White Fused Alumina, Silicon Carbide, and other abrasives tailored for coated abrasives applications. Contact us today for expert advice and bulk supply solutions!
|
Grinding object |
Coated Abrasives Types |
Coarse grinding |
Middle Grinding |
Fine grinding |
|
Steel |
Abrasive belt Abrasive disc Roller |
24#~60# 14#~40# — |
80#~120# 50#~80# — |
150#~400# 100#~240# — |
|
Non-ferrous metals |
Abrasive belt Abrasive disc Roller |
24#~60# 14#~36# — |
80#~150# 40#~80# — |
180#~320# 100#~180# — |
|
Wood |
Abrasive belt Abrasive disc Roller |
36#~80# 16#~36# 40#~80# |
100#~150# 40#~60# 100#~150# |
180#~240# 80#~120# 180#~240# |
|
Glass |
Abrasive belt Abrasive disc Roller |
40#~80# 80#~100# — |
100#~150# 120#~180# — |
180#~400# 220#~800# — |
|
Paint |
Abrasive belt Abrasive disc Roller |
80#~150# — — |
180#~240# — — |
280#~800# — — |
|
Leather |
Abrasive belt Abrasive disc Roller |
40#~60# 40#~60# 80#~120# |
80#~150# — 150#~180# |
180#~500# — 220#~500# |
|
Rubber |
Abrasive belt Abrasive disc Roller |
16#~40# — — |
50#~120# — — |
150#~400# 150#~500# — |
|
Plastics |
Abrasive belt Abrasive disc Roller |
36#~80# 80#~120# 60#~120# |
100#~150# 80#~120# 120#~180# |
180#~400# 180#~800# 220#~500# |
|
Ceramics |
Abrasive belt Abrasive disc Roller |
36#~80# 36#~60# — |
100#~150# 80#~120# — |
180#~400# 180#~800# — |
|
Stone |
Abrasive belt Abrasive disc Roller |
36#~80# 36#~60# — |
100#~150# 80#~150# — |
180#~400# 180#~800# — |
