Carborundum - sharpening stone
Carborundum box and sharpening stone
Name/Title
Carborundum - sharpening stoneEntry/Object ID
2025.1.525Description
A Carborundum, or silicon-carbide, sharpening stone. Some stones made for use with oil and some water.Context
The silicone-carbide stone is nearly as hard as diamond, which is the hardest stone known. The Carborundum Company was incorporated in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, in 1891 by Dr. Edward G. Acheson. The rapidly growing industry of hydroelectric power drew Acheson and his company to Niagara Falls, New York, in 1895. At this time, Carborundum employed 35 individuals and that number grew to about 6,000 by 1944. Edward G. Acheson heated clay and carbon in an iron bowl by passing a current between it and an arc light carbon. He found a few hard, sharp crystals, which he discovered to be silicon carbide. Acheson recognized their potential as an abrasive and merged “carbon” and “Corundum” to form the trade name Carborundum for his new product. He obtained a patent on his new material in 1893. The Carborundum Company was the second company to contract with the Niagara Falls Power Co. Production began on a four-acre plot of land on the upper river about ½ mile from the power plant. In 1924, the Carborundum Company constructed their world headquarters and administration building at 1625 Buffalo Avenue, just a few blocks from its operations. Throughout its history, Carborundum has been a worldwide leader in the development and application of materials such as silicon carbide, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, and other ceramics, with a special emphasis on abrasives and refractory and insulation compounds. Carborundum products have been put to use in virtually every industry, from steel to automotive to space exploration, and, beginning in the late 1980s, the semiconductor industry as well. Long based in Niagara Falls, New York, Carborundum operates divisions in more than 30 countries and employs over 3,000 people. In 1995 Carborundum was bought by Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. of France.Category
Guns equipment