What is "scotch-brite"

Scotch-Brite is a line of abrasive cleaning pads produced by 3M. The original product line consisted of spun polypropylene fiber with about nine grit variations. Scotch-Brite also contains "Alox", which is a trade name for aluminum oxide. Although polypropylene may be considered benignly soft, its composition with aluminum oxide greatly enhances its abrasive powers; to the extent that a Scotch-Brite pad will actually scratch glass. When one considers that aluminum oxide has a coefficient of hardness greater than glass, this should not surprise. Except for much more expensive diamond abrasives, aluminum oxide has one of the highest hardness coefficients of all oxides.