Silicon Carbides

Black SiC: We offer black silicon carbide powders for the abrasive wheel, slurry, refractory and ceramic industries, as well as rock tumbling blends. Abrasive black silicon carbide powders are pecifically manufactured to be used for general abrasive applications in bonded abrasive tools, lapping and polishing processes. With a lower hardness and abrasive capacity than diamond or boron carbide, it is widely used for grinding nonferrous materials, finishing tough and hard materials, as well as filling up ceramic parts due to its lower cost.

Technically, black SiC is a man made mineral with a high thermal conductivity rating of 100 W/m-K. It is extremely hard, around a Mohs 9.1 or 2550 Knoop. It has high strength at elevated temperatures. For example, at 1000oC, SiC is 7.5 times stronger than Al203 (aluminum oxide). Black SiC will contain some free silicon and carbon and thus is not as pure as green SiC. Black will range in purity from 97-99% pure, depending on grit size.

Green SiC is made from silica sand and coke, and is extremely pure. Hexagonally shaped, it breaks into very sharp particles. Our green SiC is 99.0+% pure, and is graded according to FEPA specifications. Green SiC is harder than black, coming in at a 9.4 Mohs and 2600 on the Knoop scale. Green is often the media of choice when it comes wire sawing.

Unless your application requires an extremely pure SiC, by default, black is preferred due to its more economic pricing.