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ifriction.com comments: Diamond grinding wheels are considerably more expensive than silicon carbide resinoid wheels. However, life far exceeds that of the resinoid types - so much so that there is a decided cost advantage in converting to diamonds. This cost advantage is not only because diamonds last longer, but because diamond wheels do not require dressing to rejuvenate the grinding surface. Grinder down-time is much less. Another big plus for diamond grinding is the lack of contamination of the dust with abrasive particles. Diamond grinding does not contaminate dust to the same extent that silicon carbide does, and opens up the possibility to reuse the grinding dust in lower grade formulas. Not only does this result in reduced material costs, but avoids the cost of dust disposal. It becomes a major factor worldwide as people become more environmentally conscious. It is not uncommon to use this uncontaminated dust in underlayers. Some block manufacturers include as much as 25% by weight in their formulas. |