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What minerals make up emery?
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abrasive
Worker using an angle grinder to smooth a piece of metal.
Emery is a granular rock composed primarily of a mixture of the mineral corundum (aluminum oxide) and iron oxides, such as magnetite or hematite.1
In addition to these primary components, emery may also contain several other minerals, including:
- Diaspore1
- Gibbsite1
- Margarite1
- Chloritoid1
- Sillimanite1
Due to its hardness, which measures approximately 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, this material has historically been valued as an abrasive for polishing and grinding applications.1