Corundum powder, also known as alumina or aluminum oxide, has a wide range of uses due to its high hardness and chemical inertness. It's primarily used as an abrasive in various applications, including grinding, polishing, and sandblasting. Additionally, it finds applications in ceramics, optical components, and even as a gemstone in jewelry.
Here's a more detailed look at its uses:
1. Abrasives:
- Grinding and Polishing:Corundum powder is a key ingredient in grinding wheels, sandpaper, and polishing materials for various surfaces, including metals, glass, and semiconductors.
- Sandblasting:Its hardness and abrasive properties make it suitable for sandblasting applications, where it's used to clean and prepare surfaces.
- Other Abrasive Applications:It's also used in lapping (smoothing surfaces), chamfering (beveling edges), and other processes requiring abrasive materials.
2. Ceramics:
- Ceramic Filter Production:Corundum powder is used in the production of ceramic filter membranes, tubes, and plates.
- Other Ceramic Applications:It's also used in the production of porous ceramics, honeycomb ceramics, and other ceramic structures.
3. Optical Components:
- Scratch-Resistant Optics:Synthetic corundum is used in laser components and scratch-resistant watch crystals due to its high hardness and optical clarity.
- Satellites and Spacecraft:Corundum is used in instrument windows for satellites and spacecraft because of its transparency in the ultraviolet to infrared range.
4. Gemstones:
- Rubies and Sapphires: Natural corundum, depending on its color, is used in jewelry as rubies (red) and sapphires (all other colors).
5. Other Applications:
- Refractory Materials:Corundum powder is used in refractory materials for high-temperature applications, such as furnace linings.
- Cosmetic and Medical:It's used in skin cleaning and cosmetic surgery due to its abrasive and inert properties.
- Wear-Resistant Coatings:It's used in wear-resistant floor coatings, paint primers, and non-stick pan coatings.