Green silicon carbide is mainly applied for grinding, rough grinding and lapping processes, rather than final bright polishing. Cerium oxide is mostly adopted for final mirror‑finish polishing. Green silicon carbide removes material allowance by sharp cutting action. It is suitable for glass with relatively high hardness. Low iron impurity content is mandatory to avoid rust spots on glass surfaces.
Glass Types Suitable for Green Silicon Carbide Lapping
- Optical glass (optical lenses, prisms): Used in optical cold working for rough, medium and fine grinding processes. For various crown glass and flint glass, green silicon carbide abrasive removes wire‑cut marks and corrects curvature after wire‑saw cutting.
- Fused silica / quartz glass: High‑hardness material with low cutting efficiency by ordinary abrasives. Green silicon carbide delivers excellent performance. Applied for surface lapping of quartz wafers, quartz view windows and quartz crucibles.
- Borosilicate glass: Heat‑resistant glass and laboratory glassware for edge grinding, surface lapping and chamfering.
- Photovoltaic glass / ultra‑white rolled glass: Edge grinding and chamfering to remove edge burrs. Mainly F230‑F600 grit sizes.
- Cover glass, tempered flat glass: Glass chamfering, edge lapping and surface rough‑grinding for shape correction.
- Glass tubes and glass bottles: End‑face lapping to obtain flat tube ends.
Applications Not Suitable for Green Silicon Carbide
- green silicon carbide is only for pre‑processing grinding.
- Extra‑soft lead glass: Prone to scratches, use with caution.
Key Points for Silicon Carbide Selection
- Acid‑washed green silicon carbide ，with Fe₂O₃ ≤0.15%. High iron content will cause rust spots.
- Process‑oriented grit selection: ‑ Rough grinding & shaping: F240‑F400 (240#‑800#) ‑ Fine lapping: F800‑F1500 (1000#‑4000#)
