abrasives
Substances used to wear down or clean other
substances. Abrasives may occur naturally (e.g.,
diamond, corundum, pumice, etc.), or be
manufactured (e.g., silicon carbide, fused
alumina, metallic abrasives, and the like). The
hardness of an abrasive is measured by MOHS' SCALE , which
is arbitrary. For numerous grinding and buffering
purposes, the graded grains of abrasive are bonded
together in a vitreous rubber or metallic matrix
to produce grinding wheels; for hand use, the
grains are bonded to paper or cloth by means of a
suitable adhesive.
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