Advanced Abrasives is a manufacturing and processing base for a product portfolio that includes wet and dry diamond powders, compounds and slurries. These products are processed in a variety of methods to "Custom Specific Specifications", to satisfy a diversified range of applications worldwide.
Advanced Abrasives Corporation is a premier superabrasive micronizer, offering the highest quality diamond and cubic boron nitride (cBN) superabrasive powders in the industry with sizes ranging from 25 nanometer up to and including the mesh region. These same high quality powders are the backbone to our superior line of superabrasive slurries, suspensions and compounds.
Quality Control and Customized Processing
Our proprietary "Mesh to Micron" manufacturing process is monitored with state of the art equipment and continuous quality control checks to ensure that the required physical characteristics of the product are achieved and that there is consistency from lot to lot. Monitoring and measurements include: particle size distribution, shape characterization, surface cleanliness (via electrical conductivity and ion analysis) and crystal impurity levels (via elemental analysis). Data is retained for traceability, statistical analysis and future reference. Each powder batch that is processed for a customer is tailored to their unique application or process requirements.
Particle Size Measurement
Particle Size Distribution (PSD) is one of the most critical characteristics of our superabrasive products. The PSD affects the material removal rate, surface finish and particle packing density. Advanced Abrasives incorporates many different techniques and instruments to measure and track the distribution characteristics to ensure product consistency.
Shape Characterization
We incorporate a qualitative technique using a light optical microscope with image analysis software on every batch we micronize. When detailed high magnification imaging is required, state of the art SEM or TEM units are employed.
Conductivity
Electrical conductivity is used as a measurement of crystal surface purity as a result of dissolved solids. To ensure the highest possible bond retention during sintering, the surface of the diamond must be extremely clean. Advanced Abrasives uses a proprietary technique to produce an ultra-clean surface regardless of size or shape.
Elemental Analysis
Elemental impurities reside in all synthetic and natural diamond. Advanced Abrasives uses Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) and DC Arc analysis to measure and so control these impurities, allowing us to offer consistent, low impurity diamond products for the most demanding of our customer's applications*. The ICP analysis reveals the level of surface cleanliness by incorporating an acid leaching technique which collects and then determines the elemental residuals on the crystal surfaces. DC Arc analysis coverts the diamond crystals to ash and so liberates the previously trapped unconverted elemental catalysts for measurement in the arc.
Ion Analysis
Ion Chromatography is a process that allows the separation of ions and polar molecules based on the charge properties of the molecules. High levels of ions on the crystal surface can have a negative effect on bond retention/compatibility, dispersion and/or surface finish. Advanced Abrasives uses proprietary cleaning techniques along with extremely high purity water to eliminate high ion concentrations.
