Carborundum

Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 2: Beaugency to Cataract, p. 759

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.

Source scan(s): p. 0776