Premium Grains: The Physical Properties of Alumina-Zirconia
At Saint Gobain Specialty Grains and Powders, we excel in the precision engineering of premium grains for blasting, cutting, grinding, lapping, and polishing applications. Our best-in-class abrasives satisfy the stringent demands of the world’s most commercially demanding market segments, spanning aerospace to semiconductor finishing. We strive to deliver finely tailored premium grains that drive performance and promote the greatest possible process efficiency, regardless of the application.
The key to our success has been a commitment to ongoing product innovation. Our existing technological expertise has served as the ideal platform for consistently refining our manufacturing processes to deliver greater quality premium grains than before. Central to that endeavor is our proprietary particle synthesis workflow that enables our engineers to tightly control the microstructure and size of crystals in premium grains. This allows us to supply bulk products that significantly outperform commodity alternatives.
Among our range of premium grains is a range of high-performance alumina-zirconia abrasives for bonded and coated applications.
Alumina-Zirconia Premium Grains—The Basics
Based on the optimal combination of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2), premium alumina-zirconia grains are among the most durable abrasives used in finishing and roughing applications. Each alloying element contributes to outstanding overall strength and toughness, hence alumina-zirconia abrasives are typically reserved for heavy stock removal applications.
Standard alumina-zirconia grains are preferred over most other commodity abrasives owing to their excellent friability and long-lasting service. Its extreme durability provides top performance in heavy-duty grinding environments suited to coarse grit sizes.
Controlling the crystal size and microstructure of alumina-zirconia abrasives is extremely attractive as it can harness the exceptional physical qualities of the material in a much smaller and more finely tuned format. Here we will take a look at some examples of premium alumina-zirconia products.
Alumina-Zirconia Products from Saint Gobain
- ZF/ZS Alundum
With high density and toughness coupled with a fine crystal size, ZF 1525® premium grains have been crushed to yield a sharp, blocky shape that offers exceptional stock-removal and long-lasting performance. Similarly dense and tough, ZS 1526® has an ultra-blocky shape with rounded edges for maximum durability and impact resistance in the most extreme grinding environments. Each of these provides remarkable material removal rates.
- NORZON NV
Created through fusion of alumina and zircon sand at ultra-high temperatures, Norton NV premium abrasives have inherently high strength with good dulling resistance. They benefit from tailored fracture properties which can extend the abrasive’s service life by up to six times longer than conventional abrasive materials. Norzon NV offers superior sharpness as compared to other 40% alumina-zirconia grains and produces best in class performance in both bonded and coated abrasive applications.
- AZ25/AZ40
Formed via electric arc fusion, AZ40 1564 and AZ40 1578 premium grains for bonded abrasives have greater zirconia content (<40%) and are engineered a fine microstructure with proprietary column-shaped microstructures. AZ40 1565 and AZ40 1575 offer similar performance for coated abrasive applications. Each of these abrasive products is uniquely suited to difficult substrate finishing.
Looking for Premium Grains?
If you are looking for a new premium grain for your abrasive application and think that alumina-zirconia may be useful to you, simply contact a member of the Saint Gobain team today.