Washington Mills manufactures fused aluminum oxide (Al2O3), otherwise known as fused alumina, through an electric arc furnace process. Our brown fused alumina is made into many shapes and grit sizes ranging from macrogrits to microgrits and powders. Aluminum oxide is a tough, hard material (Mohs hardness 9) with high strength, excellent wear and corrosion resistance and good thermal conductivity. Fused alumina is widely used as a raw material in refractories, ceramics shapes, grinding wheels, sandpaper, blasting media, metal preparation, laminates, coatings, lapping, polishing, grinding and hundreds of other applications. Washington Mills' brown fused alumina grains and powders are available in standard grit and powder sizes and they can also be made to individual specifications. Please see below for information about some of our fused aluminum oxide materials.
Bonded Abrasives, Coated Abrasives, Industrial, Refractory, Ceramic
Duralum ® GW is a medium titania, blocky shape and medium density fused brown aluminum oxide abrasive.
Duralum ® GW is used in bonded abrasive products where a tough, strong, aluminum oxide is required.
DURALUMR GW/VIT is a specially treated, medium titania, blocky shape, medium density, fused brown aluminum oxide abrasive for use in vitrified bonded abrasive products where a tough, strong, aluminum oxide is required.
DURALUMR GW/VIT is manufactured specifically for use in both high temperature and low temperature vitrified grinding wheels. It is produced in a complete range of grit sizes.
Duralum ® HBD is a medium titania, blocky shaped, high density, fused brown aluminum oxide abrasive for use in bonded abrasive products where a very tough, mulled, aluminum oxide is required.
Duralum ® HBD is extensively used in heavy-duty grinding, double disc grinding and cylindrical grinding. It is suitable for both resinoid and vitrified wheels.
Duralum ® HRG is a medium crystal size fused brown aluminum oxide, specially heat-treated under carefully controlled conditions of time, temperature, and atmosphere. Duralum® HRG is an annealed abrasive due to the crystal realignment that occurs during its controlled calcining and cooling. A tough and strong abrasive, Duralum® HRG grinds with remarkable consistency and produces favorable grinding ratios characterized by rapid stock removal combined with minimal abrasive wear.
Duralum ® HRG is widely used in such diverse applications such as portable wheels, steel conditioning wheels, and cut-off wheels.
A medium titania, elongated shape, low density, fused brown aluminum oxide abrasive for use in bonded abrasive products where a tough, strong aluminum oxide is required but with cooler grinding characteristics.
Duralum ® LBD is an angular grain with very sharp edges for use in precision vitrified or organic grinding wheels where more friability is desired to achieve a faster, cooler cut.
Duralum ® LT is a true, semi-friable, fused, light brown aluminum oxide grain. It is a fast, cool-cutting grain which produces clean white cuts with minimal surface degradation.
Duralum ® LT is used in the production of bonded abrasives for working heat sensitive steels, alloys, rubber, etc. where a gentle, yet aggressive, action is needed.
Duralum ® LTR is a heat treated calcined form of Duralum® LT that is light blue in color.
This product is recommended for resin-bonded applications where a cool, fast cutting, and extra tough abrasive is desired.
Duralum ® Redkote is a tough, cast fused aluminum oxide abrasive for use in resin bonded wheels when greater bond strength is required. A red iron oxide coating is ceramically bonded to the grain, using only lead free frits. An electronically controlled high temperature heat treatment assures a complete, void-free ceramic coating on the grain’s surface. The fired ceramic surface bonds more intimately with phenolic resins. This better bond gives longer wheel life and improves grinding performance.
Duralum ® Redkote is used in a wide range of resin bonded applications, including: cut-off wheels, steel-conditioning wheels, cold pressed wheels, depressed center wheels, and track-grinding wheels. Duralum® Redkote produces significantly improved grinding ratios.
Duralum ® Silkote is a tough, cast fused aluminum oxide abrasive with a clear uniform silane coating added to the grain. Duralum® Silkote produces a stronger, longer lasting resin bonded wheel and can be used in both wet and dry grinding applications.
Duralum ® Silkote is used in grinding wheels and shows the greatest grinding improvements in: cutting-off operations, disc grinding (or any wet grinding application), roll grinding, depressed center wheels, and hot pressed snagging wheels.
Angular, sharp-edged, medium density, fused brown aluminum oxides that exhibit high capillarity for instant adhesion to resin or glue bonds in gravity fed coating applications.
Duralum® G82 and Duralum® G82 P are used in the manufacture of all types of brown aluminum oxide coated abrasive products including: cloth, fiber, and paper and are used on mild steel, alloy steel, and some woodworking applications.
Angular, sharp-edged fused brown aluminum oxides treated with a Projection Enhancement surface treatment. These products exhibit high capillarity for instant adhesion to resin or glue bonds and their electrostatic characteristics are carefully monitored to provide consistent, reliable grain projection in a wide range of electrostatic coating conditions.
Duralum® G52E and Duralum® G52E P are used in the manufacture of all types of brown aluminum oxide coated abrasive products including: cloth, fiber, paper, and used on mild steel, alloy steel, and some woodworking applications.
Angular, sharp-edged, fused brown aluminum oxides that exhibit high capillarity for instant adhesion to resin or glue bonds. These products are treated with both a low temperature heat treatment and a Projection Enhancement surface treatment, and their electrostatic characteristics are carefully monitored to provide consistent, reliable grain projection in a wide range of electrostatic coating conditions.
Duralum® C ART and Duralum® C PRT are used in the manufacture of all types of brown aluminum oxide coated abrasive products including: cloth, fiber, and paper and are used on mild steel, alloy steel, and some woodworking applications.
Roasted, angular, sharp-edged, fused brown aluminum oxides that are treated with a Projection Enhancement surface treatment. These products exhibit high capillarity for instant adhesion to resin or glue bonds and have the advantage of being calcined at high temperature to impart maximum toughness and reach a structural blue phase.
Durablu® C ABRT and Durablu® C PBRT are used in the manufacture of all types of brown aluminum oxide coated abrasive products including: cloth, fiber, and paper and on mild steel, alloy steel, and some woodworking applications
True, semi-friable, low titania, roasted, fused aluminum oxides. These products are low density abrasives that are angular in shape with sharp edges and are treated with a Projection Enhancement surface treatment. They also have the advantage of being calcined at high temperatures to reach a structural blue phase, imparting maximum toughness and durability.
Durablu® LT C ABRT and Durablu® LT C PBRT are used in the production of coated abrasives including: cloth, paper, and fiber and for working heat sensitive steels, wood, rubber, etc. where a cool, cutting, yet aggressive, action is needed.
True, semi-friable, low density, low titania, angular in shape, sharp edged, fused aluminum oxide grains that are treated with a Projection Enhancement surface treatment. These products exhibit high capillarity for instant adhesion to resin or glue bonds and their electrostatic characteristics are carefully monitored to provide consistent reliable grain projection in a wide range of electrostatic coating conditions.
Duralum® LT C AT and Duralum® LT C PT are used in the production of coated abrasives including: cloth, paper, and fiber for working heat sensitive steels, wood, rubber, etc. where a cool cutting yet aggressive action is needed.
Blastite® BT is a tough, medium density, virgin fused brown aluminum oxide abrasive. Its close sizing enables operators to consistently duplicate finishes. Blastite® BT is produced to conform to Military Specification MIL-A-21380B, General Electric Aircraft Engine Group D50TF5, and most Pratt and Whitney Aircraft PMC Specifications.
Blastite® BT is designed for the pressure blasting of materials of almost every type, including: glass, granite, marble, and ceramic and it is also used for the preparation of surfaces prior to painting or bonding; as well as for light deburring, scale removal, and the generation of matte finishes.
Duralum® is a tough, virgin fused brown aluminum oxide abrasive containing no free silica. It is more closely sized than other blasting grains to insure consistent duplication of surface finishes.
Duralum® is a general purpose blasting and polishing grain that is widely used for flat lapping, polishing, and other finishing operations on materials such as glass, ceramics, granite, silicon, and metal.
Duralum® HC is a virgin fused brown aluminum oxide specially calcined to eliminate adhering to dust and to improve capillarity.
Duralum® HC is used primarily as a media in fluid bed furnaces and can also be used as an abrasive or refractory grain where the elimination of adhering dust and a very clean grain surface is desirable.
Duralum® K5 is a virgin fused brown aluminum oxide abrasive powder for use in industrial applications.
Duralum® K5 Powder is used in all industrial operations where numerically graded or micron-sized abrasive powders are not required. Typical uses include: lapping, polishing, and in buffing cakes and compounds for ferrous and non-ferrous metal, ceramic, and stone.
Duratred® is an extremely hard, abrasion resistant, chemically inert, virgin fused brown aluminum oxide abrasive.
Duratred® is used as an anti-skid grain in the preparation of non-slip surfaces. The most widely used applications are: trowelling into fresh concrete, rolling into resilient materials such as asphalt, casting into iron or aluminum, and bonding to any type of surface with various adhesives, resins, cements, and paints.
Niagara Blast® is a tough, medium density, virgin fused brown aluminum oxide abrasive. An aggressive and durable abrasive, Niagara Blast® is well suited for pressure blasting.
Niagara Blast® applications include the preparation of surfaces for painting or bonding, as well as rapid scale removal where a closely sized product is not required.
Duralum® RF is a brown, fused aluminum oxide refractory grain produced from selected grades of bauxite. The chemical composition and crystalline size are carefully controlled to ensure maximum product uniformity.
Duralum® RF is used as a raw material in dense, high temperature refractory products such as ramming and gunning mixes, castables, and in the form of loose grain.
Duralum® RF HR is a specially treated brown fused aluminum oxide refractory grain. The chemical composition and crystalline size are carefully controlled to ensure maximum product uniformity.
Duralum® RF HR is manufactured specifically for applications such as bricks, tiles, filter plates, etc. where spalling is an issue.
Duralum® RF DCF are brown fused alumina dust collector fines obtained from the dust collector systems connected to the crushing and grading units. Aluminum Oxide content varies slightly, but is consistently above 90%.
Duralum® RF Dust Collector Fines are used in general refractory applications.