Choosing the Right Type of Abrasive for Your next Metal Project The life of your stainless-steel metal parts depends greatly on the quality of its metal finishing service and choosing the right type of abrasive for your metal project can make the difference between a low-quality project and an exceptional one. What Role Do Abrasives […]

Choosing the Right Type of Abrasive for Your next Metal Project

The life of your stainless-steel metal parts depends greatly on the quality of its metal finishing service and choosing the right type of abrasive for your metal project can make the difference between a low-quality project and an exceptional one.

What Role Do Abrasives Play in Metal Finishing?

Abrasives can be used to prepare the material before the metal finishing processes of electropolishing, pickling, or passivation by smoothing welds, eliminating rust build-up, and polishing imperfections away to create a workable surface.

Abrasive Material Options

Among the abrasives available, customers can choose from a wide range of material options, and you should consider the type of abrasive you will purchase for your next metal project careful before making your decision, as different combinations of interactions between metals can yield very different results.

  • Aluminum Oxide. A tough and versatile abrasive most widely used. Available in a wide range of grits from ultrafine to super course. Suitable for smoothing metal and metal welds, as well as removing build-up of paint and rust.
  • A durable, industrial abrasive well-suited for the removal of heavy metals.
  • A flexible, easily manipulated abrasive. A light abrasive option due to its non-aggressive texture.
  • An abrasive option for light metal smoothing. Used for light-duty wood sanding, paint removal, and metal smoothing. Suitable for small, lighter hand-sanded jobs.
  • Zirconia Alumina. A slightly more powerful metal removal and weld smoothing abrasive option.
  • Coverage Closed-Coat Abrasive. A more aggressive abrasive material. Suitable for smoothing of hard materials, such as steel.

Metal Finishing with CEC

Our team of experts at Control Electropolishing are dedicated to providing you with top-of-the-line service and expertise for your metal projects. Contact us today to learn more about choosing the right abrasive for your metal parts and to begin planning for further metal finishing service, including electropolishing, pickling, and passivation.

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