Coated abrasive is produced by bonding abrasive grains to backing material or flexible substrate using adhesives. Paper, fabric, vulcanized fiber, and plastic films are widely used as a backing material.
A coated abrasive is an abrasive tool made up of a thin film of abrasive grain attached to a substrate such as paper, fabric, etc. Coated abrasives develop in various shapes such as sheets, discs, rolls, specialties, or belts.
“Coated abrasives are sometimes referred to as "sandpaper," but they are not made with sand and are not backed by paper.“
In today’s markets such as furniture, lumber, cabinet, boat, automobile, welding, foundry, jewelry, and do-it-yourself markets, The coated abrasives are produced in "jumbo" rolls and then cut into various shapes such as belts, discs, rolls, and sheets for surface treatment and polishing applications.
Sanding rolls and sanding belts, typically for non-precision operation, are commonly coated abrasives for physical applications. These two styles are known as symbolic coated abrasives by the general public.
Other coated abrasives include sanding sheets, sanding disc, flap discs, flap wheels, cross pads, deburring wheels, and many more.
Let’s know each component of coated abrasive in details:
The popular abrasive grains structure are given below:
Related - Components of Coated Abrasives
Below are the four significant types of backing materials:
For coated abrasives, highly technical papers are used as substrates. The letters reflecting weight and versatility define them: "A and "B" weights are lightweight and extremely flexible. "C,” "D,” "E,” "F" weights with more strength and less versatility are medium to heavyweight.
Cloth backings are more reliable than paper backings. Cotton, polyester, and polyester-cotton combinations are significant types of cloth backings. Weight and versatility determine cloth backings. Cloth backing is ideal for applications of heavy-duty grinding and deburring. It provides excellent stability on edge.
A rigid vulcanized material made from rag stock is fiber backing. For abrasive fiber discs, this backing is commonly used. The mixture’s backing is laminated paper and fabric and is very solid and resistant to shock. For a wide variety of grits and mounting methods, combination backings are usually used.
There is also a range of different substrates coated for particular uses, such as nylon fiber or screens. Another substrate that can be used for drying, polishing, or mixing is non-woven nylon impregnated with abrasive grains.
Below are some of the standard options that you will find for coated abrasives:
Know More About: Types of Coated Abrasives
Abrasives performance can be affected by improper storage of coated abrasives. Both types of backings are subject to temperature and humidity fluctuations during storage: