Aluminum oxide is the most common abrasive used on sandpaper.
Ceramic sanding belts vs aluminum oxide.
Additionally aluminum oxide is exceedingly durable.
These hi performance grains have the ability to constantly resharpen as they wear providing fast cutting action through their usable life.
Both belts have the ability to resharpen as they wear and both are primarily used on metal applications.
Used primarily on metal applications.
As high performance belts both zirconia and ceramic sanding belts will last longer and remove metal faster than aluminum oxide or silicon carbide sanding belts.
Zirconia sanding discs and zirconia sanding belts are the most popular types of abrasives found in the marketplace.
Available in open and closed coat.
Most versatile abrasive for use on all wood sanding applications from stock removal to finish sanding.
Zirconia will have a much longer life than aluminum oxide be more fiable and provide a cooler sanding grinding experience.
Both will remove metal faster and last longer than all aluminum oxide or silicon carbide products.
To see how different brands of sandpaper stack up see torture test.
Although it is stronger than aluminum oxide zirconia may have difficulties grinding mill scale.
On the other hand closed coat sandpaper produces a more uniform scratch pattern making it a good choice for sanding finishes.
In the end both types of belts are excellent belts.
Ceramic abrasives have a micro crystalline habit and are more uniform in their structure than either aluminium oxide or zirconia abrasives.
Products available at afs.
Recognized by its brownish red color.
Both grains are considered hi performance.
When sanding harder metals such as titanium or stainless steel aluminum oxide does not have as long of a life as say ceramic or zirconia.
The combination of a very good shelf life and lower cost is what makes aluminum oxide stand out over other forms of sandpaper including silicon carbide.