Abstract: A protective material comprising a flexible substrate including a top surface and a plurality of discrete guard plates affixed to the top surface in a spaced relationship to each other. The guard plates comprise a material which significantly expands upon the addition of sufficient heat forming a thermally insulating, flame retardant layer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of making a three-dimensional fixed abrasive article, and a three dimensional fixed abrasive made thereby. The method comprises providing an abrasive composition comprising a plurality of abrasive particles and a binder precursor. The binder precursor comprises a polymerizable material consisting essentially of an ethylenically unsaturated material having one or more terminal functional groups of the same type of reactive functionality, a photoinitiator, and a thermal initiator. The abrasive composition is then applied onto a backing. The method then comprises at least partially curing the binder precursor by activating the photoinitiator, and further curing the binder precursor by activating the thermal initiator to provide a three-dimensional fixed abrasive.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of making a three-dimensional fixed abrasive article, and a three dimensional fixed abrasive made thereby. The method comprises providing an abrasive composition comprising a plurality of abrasive particles and a binder precursor. The binder precursor comprises a polymerizable material consisting essentially of an ethylenically unsaturated material having one or more terminal functional groups of the same type of reactive functionality, a photoinitiator, and a thermal initiator. The abrasive composition is then applied onto a backing. The method then comprises at least partially curing the binder precursor by activating the photoinitiator, and further curing the binder precursor by activating the thermal initiator to provide a three-dimensional fixed abrasive.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of abrading a surface of a workpiece. The method of the invention comprises bringing a surface of a workpiece and an abrasive article into frictional contact in the presence of an aqueous fluid. The abrasive article comprises a backing comprising a surface, and an abrasive layer bonded to the surface of the backing, the abrasive layer comprising a binder, a plurality of abrasive particles, and a plurality of organic water soluble particles, the abrasive layer comprising a plurality of three-dimensional abrasive composites. The invention is also directed to the abrasive article for use in the method.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of making a three-dimensional fixed abrasive article, and a three dimensional fixed abrasive made thereby. The method comprises providing an abrasive composition comprising a plurality of abrasive particles and a binder precursor. The binder precursor comprises a polymerizable material consisting essentially of an ethylenically unsaturated material having one or more terminal functional groups of the same type of reactive functionality, a photoinitiator, and a thermal initiator. The abrasive composition is then applied onto a backing. The method then comprises at least partially curing the binder precursor by activating the photoinitiator, and further curing the binder precursor by activating the thermal initiator to provide a three-dimensional fixed abrasive.

Abstract: The present invention is a fixed abrasive article for grinding or polishing the surface of a glass workpiece. The abrasive article for grinding glass has abrasive composites containing a binder, an alkaline metal salt, and diamond abrasive particles or agglomerate particles comprising diamond particles, the composites integrally molded to a backing. The abrasive article for grinding glass is capable of removing between about 200 and 400 micrometers of glass using an RPP procedure having a polish time interval of between 10 and 15 seconds, generally about 12 seconds. The abrasive article for polishing glass comprises a backing containing fibers, and a plurality of abrasive composites integrally molded to the backing comprising an organic resin, ceria abrasive particles, and alkaline metal salt. The abrasive articles for polishing glass also provide an optimum rate of breakdown of the abrasive composites and improved adhesion between the abrasive composites and the backing.

Abstract: An abrasive article is provided which comprises a backing; and at least one three-dimensional abrasive coating comprising diamond particles dispersed within a binder bonded to a surface of the backing, the binder comprising a cured binder precursor including a urethane acrylate oligomer. The abrasive article is capable of rapid glass stock removal coupled with reducing the surface finish as indicated by reduced Ra values using an RPP test procedure.

Abstract: A SiO.sub.2 /oxide powder composite made by preparing a sol containing SiO.sub.2 and optionally Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, Li.sub.2 O, Na.sub.2 O, TiO.sub.2, B.sub.2 O.sub.3 and mixtures thereof with oxide powder consisting of SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, Li.sub.2 O-TiO.sub.2, Li.sub.2 O-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 -TiO.sub.2, .beta. spodumene crystals, .beta. eucryptite crystals, aluminum titanate, 68 SiO.sub.2 -21.4 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 -5.7 TiO.sub.2 -3.8 Li.sub.2 O (mole %) and mixtures thereof having a size from about 10 microns to about 0.001 micron dispersed therein, gelling the sol to produce a monolithic SiO.sub.2 gel matrix having homogeneously distributed therein the oxide powder, and drying the monolithic SiO.sub.2 gel/oxide powder composite.