A diamond tool is a cutting tool which contains diamond segments bonded to a base material, for cutting through a wide variety of non-ferrous materials. The segments are composed of diamond crystals and powder metal which form the bond, or 'matrix', of the segments.
When used for grinding, the bond is one of the prime factors when selecting which tool to use for cutting a specific material depending on how hard, or abrasive, the material is. The bond is what decides the rate at which the metallic powders wear down and expose new diamond crystals at the surface to maintain what would be considered a “sharp” edge.
Diamonds should not be used for cutting steel or iron, as carbon will dissolve into the workpiece and lead to tool wear and work hardening. Three other materials are used for cutting steels where diamond would be used: Cubic boron nitride (cBN, the second hardest material known), aluminum oxide, and silicon nitride tooling may be used.
For grinding or sawing hard materials, a diamond blade with a soft bond would be needed. This means the metallic powders in the segments (teeth) of the diamond blade wear fast enough to release old, dull crystals, exposing new diamond at the edges to continue cutting efficiently. Inversely, to cut a soft abrasive material like asphalt or freshly poured concrete, you would need to use a diamond blade with a hard bond so that the segments do not wear down prematurely and the blade is not put to waste. Diamond is especially suited to cut highly abrasive materials, such as ceramics.
The diamonds used in these tools are synthetic or natural industrial diamond of different grain sizes and shapes.
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