Conventional Abrasives

Lapmaster Wolters is a recognized leader in providing world-class conventional abrasive powders, lapping vehicles, premix abrasive compounds, lapping, grinding & polishing compounds, polishing pads, and accessories. With decades of experience, we are pushing the boundaries of precision surface finishing in almost every industrial sector.

• Abrasive Powders (Aluminum Oxide, Silicon Carbide, Boron Carbide, Micro-graded Diamond Powder, Micro-graded Alumina Powder, Cerium Oxide)
• Lapping Vehicles (Oil Based Lapping Vehicles and Water Based Lapping Vehicles)
• Pre-Mixed Abrasive Compounds (Garnet, Aluminum Oxide, Silicon Carbide, or Boron Carbide powder)
• Lapping Compounds / Grinding Compounds (Aluminum Oxide, Silicon Carbide, or Boron Carbide powder)
• Polishing Pads (Used for polishing a wide variety of materials including metals, glass, semiconductor materials, and more) 

Lapmaster Wolters offers a complete line of lapping abrasive products for processing today's complex materials. The abrasive grains must bring a certain hardness, toughness, thermal resistance and chemical resistance to a material removal process. For general engineering applications, Lapmaster Wolters offers Aluminum Oxide, Silicon Carbide, Boron Carbide, and Diamond Powder. For high-tech materials, glass, and other polishing applications, Lapmaster Wolters offers Micro-graded Diamond Powder, Micro-graded Alumina Powder, Cerium Oxide, and other specialized polishing compounds.

Aluminum Oxide

Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) is the softest (in relative terms) and most “friable” fused synthetic lapping abrasive offered by Lapmaster Wolters. Because of this materials friability it is considered a fine finishing abrasive. In terms of stock removal, aluminum oxide is efficient for cutting materials with a Rockwell “C” scale hardness up to 54. Although, aluminum oxide is sometimes used to process materials harder than 54C to generate a specific surface roughness, it is normally after a roughing step with a more suitable abrasive. There are two forms of aluminum oxide offered by Lapmaster Wolters. The most common product is technically called micro-graded dark brown fused aluminum oxide and the other type is micro-graded calcined white alumina.

Calcined Aluminum Oxide

This form of aluminum oxide is recommended for electronic materials processing. The reason for this is the minimal depth of component material subsurface damage created by the more gentle cutting action of this materials non-fused, flat plate like crystals. The cutting action is less stressful because the crystals slide and shave stock from the component instead of gouging a chip of material as a blocky shaped fused crystal does. The flat shape of the crystal helps minimize cutting pressure by contacting more area of the component thus distributing the cutting force over a larger area.

Calcined aluminum oxide is available with and without a suspension treatment. The suspension treatment is a chemical coating of the abrasives individual particles that allows the particles to remain in solution for a longer period when using water as the vehicle. Suspension treated abrasive is not required when lapping with oil or water-base lapping vehicles.  

Some users of calcined aluminum oxide are lapping metal components. This is due to scratching problems experienced with the standard fused aluminum oxide. Other customers have reported more scratching problems when using calcined material. This simply points out the fact that every application is different and must be evaluated on its own merits.

Silicon Carbide

Silicon Carbide (SiC) is typically used for general stock removal and the removal of machining marks on a variety of materials. E.g. mild steel, stainless steel. This material is considered an aggressive cutting, high stock removal abrasive. It is required to cut materials with Rockwell “C” scale hardness of 55 and higher. This abrasive can be used to machine softer materials when the surface finish requirement is not so precise. The surface roughness of material processed with a specific grade of silicon carbide abrasive will be higher than that achieved with aluminum oxide of the same particle size. The appearance will be significantly different as well. Aluminum oxide produces a matte finish with very few micro-scratches as opposed to silicon carbide of the same size that produces a very micro-scratched finish. 

The silicon carbides are only available in the colors green and black. Green SiC is used for precision grinding tasks, Black SiC is used in rough machining, such e.g. Cast brushing, and rough grinding tasks 

Corundum has a Knoop hardness between 1,900-2,200 N/mm². The heat resistance is between 1,750-2,000° C.

Silicon carbide has Knoop hardness between 2,400-3,000N/mm². The heat resistance of about 1,370° C. 

Boron Carbide

Boron Carbide (B4C) is typically used for when faster stock removal is required for the removal of machining marks, etc. It is a preferred abrasive for hard materials, e.g. Tungsten Carbide, or tempered steel. Boron carbide abrasive is an extremely aggressive cutting, ultra-high stock removal product. It is recommended only for lapping the hardest materials, generally limited to tungsten carbide and titanium carbide.

Diamond 

Diamond abrasive is the hardest, most aggressive cutting product offered by Lapmaster Wolters. This material is generally used for most machine polishing applications. It is most frequently applied to a soft polishing pad, always used on polishing plates and sometimes utilized on cast iron lapping plates. When diamond is used in a lapping application it is typically used to lap extremely hard materials where high production rates are required. In use, diamond abrasive particles maintain their size because of their hardness and extremely low friability rate. This allows diamond-lapping compound often to be recycled.

Cerium Oxide

Cerium Oxide (CeO2) offers an enhanced polishing performance for optical flats, as well as other applications like filters and prisms. With its long-lasting polishing efficiency, Cerium Oxide offers excellent surface quality. Even under demanding polishing conditions, it can maintain its effectiveness over long periods of time. It’s used for optical pitch applications and with a variety of pads. This abrasive is used strictly for polishing glass-like materials on a soft polishing pad or pitch polishing plate. The average particle size utilized is typically somewhere in the range of one to three microns. Some brands of cerium oxide have a slightly high pH level. These abrasives cause an oxidation of the surface being polished. The oxidized material is mechanically removed by the rotating action of the pitch plate or polishing pad.  

Polishing machines utilizing cerium oxide abrasive compound should be protected from corrosion by using stainless steel components and epoxy paints. The water most commonly used with cerium oxide is also a source of corrosion for unprotected ferrous metal machine components. The standard Lapmaster Wolters pitch polishing machines are constructed appropriately to eliminate corrosion problems from contact with water and high pH abrasive. It is important to bear this in mind when using standard lapping machines that are modified for polishing with cerium oxide. 

Colloidal Alumina 

This is a chemical compound used to CMP process a wide variety of materials, but typically semiconductor materials. When used in a suitable polishing technique this compound will produce the highest quality scratch-free reflective surface roughness. Depending on the specific product, the liquid colloid has a pH value of 8.5 to 12. This chemical generally oxidizes the material being polished as well as any unprotected machine components. Sub-micron size alumina abrasive particles are added to the colloid in very low concentration. Once again, the abrasive particles serve to mechanically remove the thin layer of oxidized material. 

Colloidal Silica 

This chemical compound is identical to colloidal alumina except the abrasive added is sub-micron silica particles. 

We provide a full line of abrasive compound products. Abrasive compound is primarily used for lapping and polishing processes. The viscous adhesive quality of the base carrier holds the compound and abrasive on the lap or polishing plate. The viscosity and lubricity of the base carrier provide high film strength and reduced friction. This allows higher than normal pressures to be applied to the components during processing. 

Diamond compound can also be used quite successfully on a power-driven polishing machine. It can be applied by hand or diamond compound dispensing system.  

Standard Lapping Abrasive Slurry/ Compound 

Our lapping and grinding compounds are abrasive compounds designed for the precision cutting and surfacing of metals, ceramics, and other composite materials. Used as a secondary process to traditional grinding, milling, boring, and EDM machining, our compounds allow final finishing of material surfaces not practical with other mechanical methods.

Lapping and grinding compounds are recommended for the following applications: 

- Producing an ultra-flat surface such as the lapping of gauges, valve seats, and mechanical seal faces. Lapping and grinding compounds 

- Smoothing surfaces like shaft surfaces and bearing races 

- Creating perfectly mated parts for running-in gears and finishing industrial valves

- Cleaning surfaces and removing material too difficult to remove by other methods, as in finishing hardened tool steel 

Lapmaster Wolters compounds are formulated with abrasive grains including aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and boron carbide suspended in either an oil-based or water-based gel. These compounds are classified by the abrasive grit size, ranging from very coarse for higher stock removal requirements to extremely fine for high precision flatness and surface finish requirements.

Diamond Slurries/ Compounds 

In addition to the standard compounds, Lapmaster Wolters also offers a wide range of diamond compounds. Natural and synthetic diamond compounds are available. Both oil and water-based paste can be selected. The compound can be provided in medium, standard, and strong diamond concentrations.

Lapping vehicle is the liquid cutting fluid used to carry the abrasive to the lap plate, maintain film strength, provide temperature transport for heat dissipation and provide lubricity. Lapmaster Wolters offers both oil and water base lapping vehicle. Several water-based products are provided as a concentrate.  

Oil-Base Lapping Vehicle 

Oil-Base lapping vehicle should be used if a customer can use oil and petroleum cleaning solvents. This is not because of greater performance, but because of oil’s ease of use. Oil does not evaporate and the lap plate remains wetted between cycles, during breaks, and overnight. Oil vehicles are self-rinsing. This means that the excess lapping compound will drain from the components, lap plate, and waste trough. No problem is created when components are left on a lap plate overnight or over the weekend. The oil also serves as rust preventive, so nothing needs to be done to the machine or components at the end of the workday except to cover the machine to prevent contamination from airborne matter. 

#3 Oil-Base Lapping Vehicle

This oil-based product formula has been offered by Lapmaster Wolters for over 40 years and accounts for the greatest volume sold of any vehicle product. An additive package is blended into this vehicle to provide lubricity, extreme pressure capability and suspension properties. This is a general-purpose lapping vehicle suitable for use in all applications where oil is a tolerable substance to come into contact with the components.

#6 Oil-Base Lapping Vehicle

The #6 lapping vehicle has a history with Lapmaster Wolters almost as long as the #3 product. This product is also blended with an additive package equivalent to the #3 product. It is simply an alternative to the #3 vehicle and is also general-purpose in nature.

#205 Oil-Based Lapping Vehicle

Oil-Based Vehicle #205 is designed to optimize the performance of this unique machining technique as well as other processes requiring an abrasive compound. The suspension qualities of the #210 oil-based vehicle will assure that the required abrasive/vehicle ratio is consistently delivered to the part/wheel interface. In applications involving an abrasive particle size of 9.5 microns or less, #205 Vehicle is recommended. The formulation of #205 enhances the suspension and cutting rates of “fine” abrasive particles.

#1301 Oil-Based Lapping Vehicle  

Lapmaster-PW #1301 Oil-Based Lapping Vehicle is designed to optimize the performance of this unique machining technique as well as other processes requiring an abrasive compound. The suspension qualities of the #1301 oil-based vehicle will assure that the required abrasive/vehicle ratio is consistently delivered to the part/wheel interface.

Lapping oil 2A

Lapping oil No. 20

Polishing oil OL5

Carecut ES/3

Water-Base Lapping Vehicle 

Water-based lapping vehicles in most cases need to be mixed at a specific ratio with water before use. The first decision the customer must make relative to lapping vehicle selection is which type of product, water or oil base vehicle. This may be an easy decision if the customer has a policy that mandates the use of water-base. Some other firms have enacted policies that will not allow petrochemical cleaning solvents to be used in their facility. This policy often is caused to rule out the use of oil-based cutting fluids.

#22 Water-Base Lapping Vehicle Concentrate

This is one of the original water-based products offered by Lapmaster Wolters. The concentrate is mixed with ten parts water for proper dilution and viscosity. The original recommendation for use in applications involving the processing of glass, compound semiconductor material, electro-optic material, ceramic, and plastic.

#99 Ready-to-Use Water-Base Lapping Vehicle

This non-concentrate product is application-specific for processing aluminum only. No mixing of this vehicle is required.

#100 Ready-to-Use Water-Base Lapping Vehicle

This product possesses current chemical technology and is recommended for general-purpose use except for aluminum. No mixing of this vehicle is required.

#101 Water-Base Lapping Vehicle Concentrate

This is the same product chemically as #100 except that it is a concentrate version. It should be mixed with water at a ratio of 4:1. Not for use when processing aluminum.

#102 Water-Base Lapping Vehicle Concentrate

It is a general purpose product that is mixed with water at a ratio of 4:1 to process metals. The ratio can be increased as high as 10:1 (dependent on desired viscosity) for processing non-metal applications.

#150 Ready-to-Use Water-Base Lapping Vehicle

Lapmaster-PW #150 was developed for use with larger Free Abrasive and Lapping Machines and is well suited to the machining of aluminum, magnesium, and silicon materials. Improved wetting action and lubricity enhancement are additional features of this vehicle.  

#160 Ready-to-Use Water-Base Lapping Vehicle

Lapmaster-PW #160 Water-Base Vehicle combines all the features and benefits of oil-based vehicles in a water-based configuration. Lapmaster-PW #160 is recommended for Free-Abrasive Machining and Lapping of glass, ceramics, and most non-metallic materials. It may also be used on metallic parts as recommended by the Lapmaster Wolters Technical Services Group.

#161 Ready-to-Use Water-Base Lapping Vehicle

Lapmaster-PW #161 is an economical water-base vehicle that combines all the features and benefits of oil-based vehicles in a water-based configuration. It is recommended for free-abrasive machining/lapping of glass, ceramics, and most non-metallic materials. It may also be used on metallic parts as recommended by the Lapmaster Wolters Technical Services Group. No mixing of this vehicle is required.

#163 Water-Base Lapping Vehicle Concentrate

Lapmaster-PW #163 water-base vehicle concentrate is the best abrasive suspending vehicle for free-abrasive machining and general lapping. It combines all the features of a Lapmaster Wolters oil-based vehicle in a water-based concentrate configuration. The concentrate is normally mixed with water at a ratio of 1 part concentrate to 4 parts water.  

#170 Ready-to-Use Water-Base Lapping Vehicle

Lapmaster-PW #170 ready-to-use water-base vehicle combines all the features and benefits of Lapmaster-PW oil-based vehicles in a water-based configuration. Lapmaster-PW #170 is recommended for Free-Abrasive Machining/ Lapping of glass, ceramics, and most non-metallic materials. It may also be used on metallic parts as recommended by the Lapmaster Wolters Technical Services Group. No mixing of this vehicle is required.

#175 Water-Base Vehicle Lapping Concentrate

Lapmaster-PW #175 water-base vehicle lapping concentrate is recommended for free-abrasive machining/lapping of glass, ceramics, silicon wafers, and most non-metallic materials. It may also be used on metallic parts as recommended by the Lapmaster Wolters Technical Services Group. The concentrate is normally mixed with water at a ratio of 1 part vehicle concentrate to 20 parts water.

#178 Water-Base Lapping Vehicle Concentrate

#178 water-base lapping vehicle concentrate is recommended for free-abrasive machining/lapping of glass, ceramics, silicon wafers, and most non-metallic materials. It may also be used on metallic parts as recommended by the Lapmaster Wolters Technical Services Group. Lapmaster-PW #178 provides greater lubrication and more film strength where higher pressures are encountered on dense materials, where trueing retaining rings contain a high percentage of surface area and on certain other specialized applications. The concentrate is normally mixed with water at a ratio of 1 part vehicle concentrate to 20 parts water.

#195 Water-Base Lapping Vehicle Concentrate

Lapmaster-PW #195 water base lapping vehicle concentrate is designed for semiconductor materials and is also suited for glass, ceramic, plastic, or any non-metallic part machining. This concentrate, when mixed at recommended ratios with water, will give controlled viscosity vehicle needed for abrasive suspension and uniform strong film on a wheel for best stock removal, flatness, and surface finishes. The concentrate is normally mixed with water at a ratio of 1 part concentrate to 4/5 parts water.

#1160 Ready-to-Use Water-Base Lapping Vehicle

Lapmaster-PW #1160 ready-to-use water-based lapping vehicle combines all the features and benefits of Lapmaster-PW oil-based vehicles in a water-based configuration. Lapmaster-PW #1160 is recommended for the processing of glass, ceramic, tungsten carbide, hard or soft metal, cast iron, and stainless steel metals. This vehicle is the same viscosity as good lapping oil and requires no mixing or additional additives besides abrasive.

Further Water-Based Lapping Vehicles

Aqualap 15C  

Aquasol No. 185  

Aquasol No. 2000

WL 6

Hysol  

Syntilo

Acecool  

GP 1

Isogrind

Foam breaker, rust protection, corrosion protection agent, coolant

A polishing pad is a thin disc of fabric or synthetic adhered to the flat surface of a polishing plate. It is used to produce the highest quality scratch free reflective surface finishes using diamond abrasive or chemical polishing agents. Polishing with a pad is considered a “soft polishing” technique because pad materials always have some amount of compliance. The thickness and hardness of the pad determine the compliance. Thicker, softer pads allow the components to sink down into the pad, which produces a radius at the contact edge circumference. The radius or “edge dubbing” prevents the component from being polished flat from edge to edge.

Lapmaster Wolters offers Polishing Pads in a range of sizes and materials to fit almost any application. The pads come with plain or adhesive backing for mounting to machine plates and can be used for polishing a wide variety of materials including metals, glass, semiconductor materials, and more. 

Polishing Pad Recommendations 

Selecting the most appropriate polishing pad for an application requires experience and knowledge. This is why Lapmaster Wolters operates a process laboratory.  This is where tests are carried out and processes are developed for the machining of customer workpieces. Prior to making recommendations on a specific polishing pad, Lapmaster Wolters should be contacted with the application data. With our experience and, if necessary, trials, the most suitable pad can then be selected.

Listed below are the standard polishing pads offered by Lapmaster Wolters and some of the more common applications for which they are utilized. By no means is this intended to be an all-inclusive, definitive recommendation chart.  

Pellon - A low-cost, rigid, relatively durable material used for general polishing of metals where surface quality is not extremely precise

Lapmaster Supreme - A long-life polyurethane polishing pad. Excellent for final polishing with alumina or colloidal silica. Available with PSA backing only

Kemet ASF - A medium-cost, woven, synthetic silk fabric laminated to a compressible backing material. This pad is used to produce extremely high-quality scratch-free mirror surface roughness on metal and ceramic components where edge rounding is not a concern

Kemet ASFL - A medium-cost, woven, synthetic silk fabric laminated to a firm, thin backing material. This pad is used to produce extremely high-quality scratch-free mirror surface roughness on metal and ceramic components where edge rounding cannot be tolerated

Suba 500 - A medium-cost, very firm polyurethane-impregnated polyester felt material used for higher stock removal polishing applications requiring high precision surfaces. Common applications include aluminum, tungsten, silicon, ceramic, plastic, and glass

Polyurethane - A microcellular, rigid foam material impregnated with cerium oxide abrasive. This very hard pad is specifically used for polishing glass where precision flatness is required

Silk - Recommended for rough polishing with diamond. Excellent for friable materials such as coal and petrographic samples. Available with plain backing only

NTR - A soft-napped final polishing cloth best used with 6-micron diamond and finer. Available with PSA backing only

Micro LP - 100% pure wool. Recommended for intermediate and final polishing stages with diamond or alumina. Available with PSA backing only

ASR - Synthetic silk mounted on a rigid backing. Best results were obtained with diamond. Available with PSA backing only

Nylon - Napless nylon weave provides an excellent finish on most materials. Excellent for flatness and edge retention. Available with plain and PSA backing.

PAN-W - Napless, non-woven textile. Excellent for flatness and edge retention. Available with PSA backing only

Velpol - A short nap synthetic velvet. Recommended for final polishing with diamond, alumina or colloidal silica. Available with PSA backing only

Cotton - Recommended for rough polishing with diamond compound. Available with plain backing only

Final Polishing Cloth - A medium nap rayon cloth. Excellent for final polishing with diamond or alumina. Available with plain and PSA backing

Selvyt - Medium nap cotton cloth. Excellent for intermediate or final polishing with diamond. Available with plain backing only

Billiard - 100% virgin wool fabric with uniform sheared pile for general rough polishing with Aluminum Oxide powders and suspensions for steels and other ferrous-based materials. Available with PSA backing only

Blue Final - Fine, short napped high density synthetic cloth. Excellent for final polishing with diamond and colloidal silica

Red Felt - 100% wool. Used on a wide variety of materials. Recommended for intermediate or final polishing with diamond

Imperial - Final polish cloth recommended for softer materials. Excellent with colloidal silica and aluminas

Heavy Nylon - Hard woven cloth pad used to replace some rough grinding steps when used with polycrystalline diamond

Fine Wool - 100% wool cloth. Finer weave for final polishing with diamond.

Satin - Durable, synthetic silk style cloth used with diamond for intermediate and final polishing

Brown Final - Durable, short nap synthetic used for final polishing with diamond or alumina 

The range of pre-mixed abrasive compounds has been formulated for use on many different types of lapping plates and polishing pads. The compound can be hand sprayed onto the lapping/polishing platen or applied by an automatic mixing and feeding system to control cost and reduce waste.

Many Lapmaster Wolters pre-mixed abrasive compounds contain only natural products friendly to the environment. Lapmaster Wolters diamond compound are excellent for processing many different non-metal and metal components including mechanical seals, aircraft components, medical devices, valves, and electronics.

Our pre-mixed abrasive compounds are available in many standard variations, as most customers have specific processing requirements. All Lapmaster Wolters pre-mixed abrasive compounds can be supplied in virtually any concentration, particle size, formulation, or container size. Compounds can also be supplied as a concentrate to be diluted by the customer or suspension treated for use when no compound agitation is available.