Carborundum, an abrasive material produced by fusing sand and coke (mixed with sawdust and salt) in the intense heat of the incandescent electric furnace. The product is a mass of bright blue crystals, nearly as hard as diamond, and more satisfactory than corundum for various kinds of work.
Carborundum
Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 2: Beaugency to Cataract, p. 759
Source scan(s): p. 0776