Tech Talk
What is "Fused Aluminum Oxide"?
Aluminum oxide isused in over 70 percent of the abrasive machining applications in the world. It is by far the most widely used of all abrasive media. The demand for large quantities of aluminum oxide has prompted more modern manufacturers of the grain to use a continuous fusion process. Here a furnace is tipped every three to four hours. Depending on the property of the required grain, the molten aluminum oxide might be poured into large refractory molds and allowed to cool slowly to produce large crystal grains. Conversely, the molten aluminum oxide might be poured into water which will quench the compound and yield a very fine crystalline structure. Once cooled, the grain is further crushed and then washed prior to grading for size. The grain might then be postprocessed or coated prior to being combined with the bonding agent and formed into the shape of a grinding wheel.
