In grinding material removal is caused by the interaction of the grit material and the target material. The following demands are placed on the abrasive grit material:
• A high degree of hardness and toughness in order to facilitate chip formation and to maintain cutting edge sharpness over a longer period.
• High thermal (change) resistance, so that the grit can withstand both the high machining temperatures as well as rapid temperature changes.
• Chemical resistance in order to avoid grit-weakening chemical reactions even at higher pressures and temperatures when interacting with the air, cooling lubricant or workpiece material.
Furthermore, varying requirements are made of the grit material with respect to fracture behaviour, depending on the grinding process at hand. Since no grit material can fulfil all these demands to the same extent, numerous natural and synthetic grit materials are utilised for diverse machining tasks.