Zirconia Vs. Ceramic: Choose Best Sanding Belt for Metal
Choosing the right sanding belt is not an easy task for beginners. A wrong belt can cause damage to your workpiece as well as the belt sander. So, what are the best sanding belts for metal?
A sanding belt for metal is designed with ceramic, zirconia, aluminum oxide, and silicon carbide abrasive grains. Zirconia and Ceramic abrasive grains are considered as most effective sanding grains for metals. They both last longer than aluminum oxide and silicon carbide.
In the next section, we'll look at a full comparison between zirconia and ceramic sanding belts so you can find which is the best sanding belt for metal?
Comparison Chart (Zirconia Vs. Ceramic Sanding Belts)
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ZIRCONIA SANDING BELT |
CERAMIC SANDING BELT |
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GRAIN STRUCTURE |
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Zirconia Alumina abrasive grain is a coated & resin-bonded grains |
Ceramic grain structures are similar to zirconia alumina. They are tough resin-coated grain |
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HEAT & PRESSURE RESISTANT |
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Zirconia belts are high heat and pressure resistance |
Ceramic belts are less pressure and heat resistance |
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Zirconia needs more pressure for sanding metal. They are perfect for hard surfaces (not good for metal polishing) |
Ceramic needs less pressure for metal sanding. They are good for hard surfaces and also metal polishing |
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GRINDING COMPATIBILITY |
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Zirconia belts perform excellent sanding with high-speed grinding machines |
Ceramic grain are comparatively less suitable with high-speed grinding |
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The quality & efficiency of the metal workpieces are less affected by zirconia belts |
The quality and efficiency of the metal workpiece are highly affected by ceramic belts |
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LIFESPAN & CUT-RATES |
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Zirconia have less lifespan & low cut rates |
Ceramic belts have a longer lifespan & faster cut rate |
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COST |
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Zirconia belts are budget-friendly or less expensive sanding belts |
Ceramic sanding belts are much expensive |
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GRINDING APPLICATIONS |
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Zirconia sanding belt provides high-quality grinding on the following metals:
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Ceramic belts can perform several metalworking applications, such as:
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