Aluminium oxide, zirconia or ceramic: which abrasive to choose

Grinding discs, flap discs, fibre discs, belts: they all come with different abrasive grains. The type of grain determines how much material you remove, how long the disc lasts and how hot the workpiece gets. Here is how to choose.

Aluminium oxide

The most common and versatile abrasive. It is suitable for carbon steel, iron and everyday jobs at normal pressure, and it offers the best value for general use.

Zirconia

A tougher grain that renews itself under pressure: compared with aluminium oxide it removes more material and lasts longer, especially in heavy work with powerful machines. It performs very well on steel and stainless steel, and it is the abrasive used in high-performance flap discs such as the Kondor T/45c Professional.

Ceramic

A microcrystalline grain that micro-fractures as it works, constantly exposing new sharp edges. The result: consistent stock removal from start to finish, less heat on the workpiece and longer life. It works best with good pressure, on stainless steel, alloy steels and series production. You will find it in our Kondor Ceramik grinding discs.

Silicon carbide

A very hard, sharp but more brittle grain. It is suitable for stone, building materials, cast iron and non-ferrous metals, and for finishing work.

Summary

Abrasive	Materials	Working pressure	Life	Price
Aluminium oxide	Steel, iron, general use	Low to medium	Good	€
Zirconia	Steel, stainless steel, heavy work	Medium to high	High	€€
Ceramic	Stainless steel, alloy steels, series production	High	Very high	€€€
Silicon carbide	Stone, cast iron, non-ferrous metals	Low to medium	Medium	€

A rule of thumb: the heavier and more continuous the job, the more it pays to move up a category. The disc costs more, but the cost per workpiece goes down, because you change discs less often and work faster.

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