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Abrasive
products
A coated abrasive, commonly known as sandpaper or emery cloth, consists
of one or several layers of abrasive grains deposited on a flexible
backing.
It is manufactured in three stages: the first is to prepare the
backing, either paper or fabric, so that it has the required mechanical
properties. A layer of adhesive is then applied, followed by the
abrasive grains, and last of all the product is cured in an oven.
The challenge is to match the performance of the product with the
application (for instance, to the material to be sanded, rough worked
or finished). Whatever the application, the strongest grain-adhesive
bond must be developed and this requires detailed research into
the physical and chemical aspects of the interfaces. Saint-Gobain
Recherche contributes to this research in liaison with the Abrasives
Branch.
The result is that applied abrasives can be adapted to a range of
products as extensive as mechanical parts for the automobile industry,
wood panels, golf clubs, contact lenses, etc..
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