An Abrasive History

Although we deal with sandpaper on a daily basis, many of us do not know how sandpaper was developed or how it came to its current form.

The name "sandpaper" is actually a misnomer, as most coated abrasive products contain neither sand nor paper. Generally, they consist of some type of abrasive mineral, which can be organic or synthetic; flexible paper or cloth backings; and adhesives. Other materials may be added for special applications.

Sandpaper dates as far back as the thirteenth century, when the Chinese used crushed shells and seeds glued with natural gum to parchment. By 1769 coated abrasive paper was being sold on the streets of Paris. An 1808 article describes a process for making sandpaper, and in 1835 a United States patent was issued for a machine that produced sandpaper. Not always a highly versatile tool, sandpaper was originally restricted to finishing applications such as polishing or preparing surfaces for painting or plating. Through improvements in the strength of backings and the properties of abrasive minerals, sandpaper can now be used for heavy-duty applications.

Today, industrial uses for sandpaper range from hand polishing with sheets to grinding steel with large machines that use 300-horse-power electric motors to drive belts several feet wide. Continuing developments in abrasive minerals and backings, will improve the performance of existing coated abrasive products in the future. New film backings and ultra-fine abrasive minerals will enable new approaches to highly reflective and precision finishes. Sandpaper will also be used more with automated equipment as designs are improved and better computer controls become available.