Influence of preparation parameters on the properties of SiC abrasive stones and their applications

Abstract

The preparation of highly efficient and low cost abrasive stones has gained considerable interest in the last few years from the industrial and academic research societies. Meanwhile, composition of such abrasive stones material has played a significant role on its physicochemical, mechanical properties and cost. In this work, series of magnesium oxychloride cement samples were prepared by adding MgCl₂ solutions to magnesia, where H₂O/MgCl₂ was 13:1, 15:1, and 17:1, while MgO/ MgCl₂ molar ratio was fixed at 7:1 for all samples. During mixing, two grades of SiC were added separately in proportions of 20, 25, and 30 mass percentage. A comprehensive characterization including bulk density, compressive strength, abrasion resistance, and polishing performance were carried out to the prepared composites samples. This was followed by studying their mineral composition and the possible use in grinding and polishing processes of marble slabs. Interestingly, the obtained characterization results demonstrated that among the different prepared composite materials, 25 mass percent SiC-containing samples showed the best physicochemical and mechanical properties. Notably, the degree of fineness of SiC has affected the overall properties of SiC composite. When very fine SiC type was used and the water content was reduced, consequently, the samples bulk density and abrasion resistance increased. Phase 5 (5Mg(OH)₂.MgCl₂.8H₂O) and silicon carbide, as the main phases with a minor amount of magnesia, were detected in the samples. From the economic point of view, the obtained result in our study is promising for its high performance-low cost for grinding and polishing of marble slabs in the industrial fabrication.