General purpose sanding belts used for wood and soft metal have an open-coat aluminum oxide abrasive. Aluminum oxide is a strong, sharp, and durable abrasive that penetrates the work surface and withstands heat and high speeds. Open-coat abrasives have grit on about 50% of the surface leaving space between the abrasive grains to prevent swarf from clogging the surface which keeps the workpiece cooler. Examples of soft metals include aluminum, copper, and brass.

Cool-cutting sanding belts optimized for all metals have a closed-coat ceramic abrasive. An additional coating minimizes surface temperatures for heat-sensitive alloys. Ceramic self-sharpens faster than other abrasives to remove material quicker. Quicker material removal speeds up the work and keeps the surface cooler, making ceramic a good choice for heat-sensitive metals. Closed-coat abrasives have abrasive grain across the entire surface to provide a smoother finish and faster material removal than open-coat coverage. Example metals include mild and carbon steel, cast iron, cobalt, titanium, and chrome.

Cool-cutting sanding belts for all wood have an open-coated ceramic abrasive on a heavyweight cloth backing for durability. Ceramic self-sharpens faster than other abrasives to remove material quicker. Quicker material removal speeds up the work and keeps the surface cooler, making ceramic a good choice for heat-sensitive metals. Open-coat abrasives have grit on about 50% of the surface leaving space between the abrasive grains to prevent swarf from clogging the surface which keeps the workpiece cooler.