Description

Carborundum Powder is a synthetic, highly abrasive material made from silicon carbide, known for its extreme hardness and gritty texture. It is primarily used by artists for creating rich, velvety, and deeply textured tones in collagraph printmaking, where it is mixed with glues (like PVA or acrylic gel) to build up raised surfaces on a plate. It is also used to grind and grain lithography stones or to add slip-resistant textures to surfaces.

Carborundum Powder is an abrasive grit with a variety of applications. Use the powder to create rich areas of tone when making collagraphs or mixed with it with PVA to add highlights to paintings.

What is Carborundum Powder?

• Composition: A compound of silicon and carbon (SiC).
• Properties: Extremely hard (approaching diamond), thermally conductive, and resistant to chemical reactions.
• Appearance: Usually black or dark grey, fine-to-coarse granules.
• Types/Grades: It comes in different particle sizes, usually categorized as fine, medium, or coarse, which affect the density and texture of the resulting print.

How to Use Carborundum Powder (Printmaking/Art)

Printmakers use carborundum powder to create plates for inking and printing in an intaglio style (inking the crevices, wiping the surface).

1. The Paste Technique (Painting/Applying)

• Mix: Combine the carborundum powder with a binder, such as PVA glue, wood glue, acrylic medium, or specific carborundum gel.
• Ratio: The amount of grit determines the darkness; more grit equals a darker, richer, more textured tone.
• Application: Paint the mixture directly onto a rigid plate (e.g., aluminium, plastic, wood) using a stiff brush or squeegee.
• Drying: Once dry, the carborundum remains non-toxic and durable for an extended period.

2. The “Pounce” Technique (Sprinkling)

• Glue Application: Paint your design on the plate using PVA glue or an acrylic medium.
• Sprinkling: While the glue is wet, sprinkle (or “pounce”) the carborundum powder over the area.
• Removing Excess: Once the glue has soaked into the powder and the surface appears dark, shake off the excess.

3. Inking and Printing

• Inking: Apply ink to the dried, textured surface, ensuring it gets into the crevices.
• Wiping: Wipe the excess ink off the non-textured areas of the plate using tarlatan or rags.
• Press: Print on damp paper using a high-pressure, traditional etching press.

Other Uses

• Graining Plates: Use a coarser grit to grind down lithography stones to remove old images.
• Polishing/Grinding:  Mix with water or oil to create polishing pastes for metal plates or stone smoothing.
• Industrial: Use it for non-slip coatings on surfaces, as well as in sandblasting.

Safety Tips

While not typically toxic, the fine dust can irritate the lungs and eyes. Work in a ventilated area and avoid letting the dust fly around.