Abrasives: Extraction
How grit is cooked in furnaces rather than dug up
What this tab covers How it is mined, drilled or grown, and processed into a tradeable form: the main methods compared, their unit economics, by-products, and the companies that do this work globally and in India.These abrasives are manufactured, not mined. Fused aluminium oxide is made by melting bauxite or alumina in electric-arc furnaces, then crushing and sizing the cooled mass. Silicon carbide comes from heating silica sand with petroleum coke in resistance furnaces. Both processes use a great deal of electricity, so cheap power decides where plants sit. Metallic abrasives are steel shot, grit and cut wire, made mostly from steel scrap. Natural rivals such as garnet, emery and staurolite are mined.
Manufactured abrasives are made in furnaces, not mined. Fused aluminium oxide is made by melting bauxite or alumina in an electric arc furnace. Silicon carbide is made by heating silica sand and petroleum coke in an Acheson resistance furnace. Both use a lot of electricity, which helps explain why China holds about 62% of world fused alumina capacity and 45% of silicon carbide capacity. Metallic abrasives are made by atomising molten steel into shot or crushing it into grit. Crushing and sizing add much of the value.
Methods compared
| Method | Share of supply | Typical scale | Recovery / efficiency | By-products | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric arc fusion of alumina (brown and white fused alumina) | world capacity 1.3 Mt in 2025, China 800,000 t (about 62%) (USGS) | national capacities 15,000-90,000 t outside China; India 40,000 t | n/a | n/a | US import unit value $699/t crude and $1,500/t ground and refined (2025e, USGS) |
| Acheson furnace silicon carbide | world capacity 1.0 Mt in 2025, China 450,000 t (45%) (USGS) | Norway 80,000 t, Japan 60,000 t, Mexico 45,000 t capacity | n/a | carbon monoxide off-gas | US import unit value $829/t crude (2025e); US crude output valued at about $830/t (indicative, basis: $25 million / 30,000 t, USGS) |
| Metallic abrasives (steel shot, grit and cut wire) | US production 160,000 t from 11 plants (2025, USGS) | 10 US companies, 11 plants in seven States | n/a | n/a | US production value about $875/t and shipments about $1,110/t (indicative, basis: USGS values / tonnages); imports $2,000/t (2025e) |
How each method works
Electric arc fusion of alumina (brown and white fused alumina)Calcined bauxite (brown) or Bayer alumina (white) is melted in an arc furnace, cooled into a block, then crushed, magnetically cleaned and screened into grit sizes.
Cheap, versatile grain; power-hungry and dominated by Chinese supply.
USGS MCS 2026, Abrasives (Manufactured) Acheson furnace silicon carbideA mix of silica sand and petroleum coke is packed around a graphite core and heated electrically for days; the silicon carbide crystal mass is broken out, sorted and crushed.
Hardest common abrasive; very energy-intensive.
USGS MCS 2026, Abrasives (Manufactured) Metallic abrasives (steel shot, grit and cut wire)Molten steel is atomised into droplets that solidify as shot, or shot is crushed to angular grit, then heat-treated and screened. Cut wire is chopped and conditioned.
Uses scrap and is reused many times; heavy, so trade is regional.
USGS MCS 2026, Abrasives (Manufactured) Unit economics are indicative ranges from the sources named; costs vary widely by deposit, region and year.Who does it: global
| Company | Country | Activity | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Gobain (Abrasives; parent of Grindwell Norton) Abrasive volumes not published. | France | abrasive grains and products | not published | n/a | |
| 3M Abrasive volumes not published. | US | coated and bonded abrasive products | not published | n/a | |
| Volzhsky Abrasive Works (VAW, CUMI subsidiary) Volume not published; revenue RUB 1.58 billion in April-June 2026. | Russia | silicon carbide and abrasives | not published | Q1 FY2027 | PL Research, CUMI result update, Aug 2026 |
| Chinese fused alumina and silicon carbide makers Company split not published; China supplied 96% of US crude fused alumina imports and 97% of crude silicon carbide imports in 2025. | China | crude grain manufacture | 800 kt fused alumina capacity (country total; plus 450 kt silicon carbide) | 2025 | USGS MCS 2026, Abrasives (Manufactured) |
Who does it: India
| Company | Country | Activity | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carborundum Universal (CUMI, Murugappa group) Volume not published; FY2026 revenue Rs 22,706 million abrasives, Rs 16,318 million electrominerals, Rs 12,680 million ceramics. | India | abrasives, electrominerals (fused alumina, silicon carbide), ceramics | not published | FY2026 | PL Research, CUMI result update, Aug 2026 |
| Grindwell Norton (Saint-Gobain) Volume not published; consolidated revenue Rs 3,073 crore in FY2026 vs Rs 2,812 crore in FY2025; abrasives sales grew 6%. | India | abrasives and silicon carbide (Bhutan subsidiary), performance ceramics | not published | FY2026 | Grindwell Norton directors' report FY2025-26 (via Arihant Capital) |
India has about 40,000 t of fused alumina and 5,000 t of silicon carbide capacity (USGS 2025). Two listed firms lead: CUMI, which also makes grain in Russia, and Saint-Gobain's Grindwell Norton, which sources silicon carbide from its Bhutan subsidiary.