Originally Posted by Todd@scienceofsharp
scienceofsharp says:
January 14, 2015 at 3:21 pm
I don’t believe there is any controversy as to whether the slurry changes consistency with use, becoming “less abrasive.” This is an accepted observation.
However, the only change we observe in the slurry is that the phyllosilicate component decomposes into thin sheets.
The silicate particles may be slightly abrasive, but the combined effect is expected to be dominated by the abrasiveness of the silica particles.
So, yes the phyllosilicate particles almost certainly play a role, but the physical mechanism has not been established.