Fabrication of an Abrasive Wheel using Garnet Sand
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Date
2013
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Publisher
Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Economic sand accumulations are found along Eastern and Southern coastal belts of Sri Lanka
These mineral sand deposits consist of ilmenite, rutile, zircon, garnet, magnetite, monazite,
sillimanite and quartz. Mineral sand separation plants separate minerals using their physical
properties such as specific gravity, magnetic properties and conductivity. Garnet is produced as
a by-product of this separation process and is removed as a tailing. Southern coastal areas of Sri
Lanka such as Tangalle, Ussangoda and Kirinda are known for large scale garnet sand
accumulations.
Garnet is a mineral with relatively high hardness value. Therefore it can be used as an abrasive
material for various applications such as tool sharpening, wood polishing, and metal polishing.
Water jet cutting machines use garnet in fine powder form as the abrasive material. There are
two types of abrasive materials, namely coated abrasives and bonded abrasives which can be
made out of garnet sand. Bonded abrasives are used mainly in abrasive wheels where a suitable
bonding material binds the abrasive. These abrasive wheels can be used for removing very fine
quantities of material from the work piece. Grinding is a process of removal of particles and
surface generation used to shape and finish components made of metals, wood and other
materials. Grinding process needs an abrasive product usually a rotating wheel in contact with a
work surface. The grinding wheel is composed of abrasive grains held together in a binder.
These abrasive grains act as cutting tools and remove very small chips of material from the
work piece. Bonded abrasives are used for this sort of applications. Various bonding materials
such as vitrified bond, rubber bond, shellac bond, metal bond are used in abrasive wheels. This
research was carried out to produce an abrasive wheel using Sri Lankan garnet sands and
different types of bonding agents. Performance of each combination was tested.
Description
Keywords
Mineral Sciences, Mineral, Science and Technology, Biodiversity – Sri Lanka, Materials Sciences