Abrasives (also referred to as *abrasive* or *abrasives* in English) are hard materials that perform a cutting function during grinding, lapping, and polishing processes. Based on their origin, abrasives can be classified into natural abrasives and synthetic abrasives; based on their hardness, they can be categorized as conventional abrasives or superabrasives. Abrasives are indispensable materials for the manufacture of precision products, and the products derived from them are often referred to as the "teeth of industry."
Among these, natural abrasives primarily include the following: Natural corundum, which consists chemically of aluminum oxide, is chiefly mined in South Africa and is used for polishing and grinding glass. Emery is another natural form of aluminum oxide; generally speaking, it is less pure than corundum and is primarily sourced from Greece and Turkey, where it is largely used in the manufacture of abrasive cloth or sandpaper. Garnet abrasives are utilized in sandblasting, waterjet cutting, the production of coated abrasives, filtration media, wear-resistant flooring aggregates, and similar applications; they are widely employed across the hardware, steel, casting, ceramics, aluminum, timber, and leather industries. Flint is typically used in the production of sandpaper. Quartz was historically the earliest material used for grinding wheels and remains in use today for manufacturing cutting tools and for processing glass. Pumice, a material of volcanic origin, serves as a raw material for producing polishing powders. Diatomaceous earth is used as an ingredient in both polishing powders and whetstones. Other natural abrasives include talc, silica, feldspar, black silica, and chalk.
