This heading covers dust and powder obtained, for example, from the polishing or grinding of the stones covered by the three preceding headings. The most important of these powders are derived from diamonds and garnets.
Natural diamond dust and powder are obtained mainly by crushing "bort" (industrial grade diamond grains). Synthetic diamond dust and powder are produced by direct conversion, generally of graphite, at high temperatures and pressures. These dusts and powders differ from the diamonds of headings 71.02 and 71.04 in that, for practical purposes, they are too small to be mounted individually. They are normally used for abrasive purposes. Their particle size generally does not exceed 1,000 micrometers (microns) but sizing is effected by sieving rather than by measuring individual particles. There can be a considerable degree of overlap between the size of dust and powder particles and that of stones, but whereas stones are counted individually to determine quantity, dust and powder are weighed. Diamond dust and powder are used for the manufacture of grinding, polishing or honing wheels, cutters, polishing pastes, etc. Garnet powder is used mainly for the grinding of optical lenses or as an abrasive on a base of paper or other material. The heading does not cover artificial corundum powder (heading 28.18).
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