What are Zirconia Sanding Belts used for?

Many different abrasives can replace your sanding belt for your stationary or portable belt grinder. A naturally occurring substance that has been polished, toughened, and processed to give it a potent finishing ability is used in almost all sanding belts used in industrial applications. However, this does not mean all sanding belts are alike or produced equally.

The "workhorse" of abrasives is aluminum oxide, which you're probably familiar with. It was first created to replace brittle grains like garnet. It works particularly well with non-ferrous metals like aluminum, soft and hardwoods, and some steel grades. While it works well, you might require a harder abrasive for intense and protracted grinding of steel and metal.

High-performance zirconia sanding grains last longer than aluminum oxide. Moreover, each use makes it sharper, allowing it to keep working even after the grain is worn out. This article will teach us more about zirconia sanding belts and their applications.

Zirconia Sanding Belts

Zirconia grain is produced by die-casting. Because it is significantly stronger and has higher heat resistance than aluminum oxide abrasives, it is a viable option for high-pressure grinding and machining applications. Steel fabrication facilities use a zirconia sand belt because they consistently produce high-quality results in harsh industrial environments (they perform best in the 24 to 120-grit range).

Sanding belts made of zirconia can smooth stainless steel, nickel alloy, aluminum, titanium, cast iron, carbon steel, blades, and rotors. Because of their enhanced heat resistance, Zirconia abrasives are substantially tougher and more efficient than aluminum oxide grains. This tendency makes them ideal for high-pressure machining and grinding applications. Zirconia abrasives are frequently utilized in the steel-manufacturing industry. Zirconia grains are the most effective material for sandpaper sheets, grinding belts, and sanding discs for steel, metal, and grinding.

What are Zirconia Sanding Belts Used For?

Zirconia is tougher than aluminum oxide but may struggle to crush mill scale. However, the grain still crushes the mill scale excellently.

• Stainless Steel
• Steel is used for tools.
• Nickel Alloy.
• Aluminum.
• Titanium.
• Wrought Iron.
• Carbon Steel.
• Rotors, Welds, and Blades.

The belts are better suited to tasks on tougher surfaces and are not the most suitable for polishing. This is because zirconia requires more force to sand. It grinds and cuts stainless steel superbly, and removes burrs from tougher metals. Zirconia belts have a long working life despite harsh use. This is because the grains are friable, meaning that the tips break off as they wear, continuously supplying sharp cutting surfaces.