Emery paper is a type of abrasive paper or

sandpaper upright=1.35, Sheets of sandpaper with different grit sizes (40 (coarse), 80, 150, 240, 600 (fine)). Sandpaper and glasspaper are names used for a type of coated abrasive that consists of sheets of paper or cloth with abrasive material glued to ...

, that can be used to abrade (remove material from) surfaces or mechanically finish a surface. Operations include

deburring A burr is a raised edge or small piece of material that remains attached to a workpiece after a modification process. It is usually an unwanted piece of material and is removed with a deburring tool in a process called 'deburring'. Burrs are mo ...

polishing Polishing is the process of creating a smooth and shiny surface by rubbing it or by applying a chemical treatment, leaving a clean surface with a significant specular reflection (still limited by the index of refraction of the material accordin ...

, paint removal, corrosion removal, sizing, etc. This is accomplished by rubbing the abrasive-coated paper, with some pressure, against the object being processed. Abrasion may be performed by hand, electrically powered, or air powered equipment.

Description

Emery is a naturally occurring rock of impure crystalline aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃ mixed with oxides of silicon (e.g. SiO₂),

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...

(Fe), and other elements and varying small percentages of clay and other silicates for example:

kaolinite Kaolinite ( ) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is an important industrial mineral. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral ...

(Al₄Si₄O₁₀(OH)₈)). Smaller particles abrade smaller amounts of material and are used to produce a finer finish. By the successive use of progressively finer mesh emery paper, near-mirror finishes can be obtained. Water or oil is often used as a lubricant and to float the abrasive debris and worn abrasive away from the work, preventing the build-up of debris in the emery paper. The paper will lose effectiveness if too much debris builds up, a condition known as "clogging", or "loading". Originally, emery paper was made from milled emery rock, bonded or sized to paper often with an

animal glue Animal glue is an adhesive that is created by prolonged boiling of animal connective tissue in a process called rendering. In addition to being used as an adhesive it is used for coating and sizing, in decorative composition ornaments, and as a ...

for water resistance. Today, synthetic adhesives are used in place of natural glues and

silicon carbide Silicon carbide (SiC), also known as carborundum (), is a hard chemical compound containing silicon and carbon. A semiconductor, it occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite, but has been mass-produced as a powder and crystal sin ...

(SiC) is often substituted for emery, silicon carbide being slightly harder, and more durable with less tendency to fracture than corundum. The use of natural emery papers is rare today generally being replaced with silicon carbide or pure aluminium oxide papers.

Other uses

Emery cloth upright=1.35, Sheets of sandpaper with different grit sizes (40 (coarse), 80, 150, 240, 600 (fine)). Sandpaper and glasspaper are names used for a type of coated abrasive that consists of sheets of paper or cloth with abrasive material glued to ...

has the abrasives bonded to a fabric instead of a paper. The cloth is more tear resistant, flexible, and costly.

Emery board A nail file is a tool used to gently grind down and shape the edges of nails. They are often used in manicures and pedicures after the nail has been trimmed using appropriate nail clippers. Nail files may either be emery boards, ceramic, glass, c ...

s have applications similar to emery paper or cloth. It also has a use in modelling. For 00 scale modelling, the fine grades of emery paper can have the appearance of a

tarmac Tarmac may refer to: Engineered surfaces * Tarmacadam, a mainly historical tar-based material for macadamising road surfaces, patented in 1902 * Asphalt concrete, a macadamising material using asphalt instead of tar which has largely superseded ta ...

surface.

References

Grinding and lapping Coated abrasives Paper products {{tool-stub