One of the key advantages of electrochemical grinding is the minimal wear that the grinding wheel tool experiences. This is because the majority of the material is removed by the electrochemical reaction that occurs between the cathode and anode. The only time that abrasive grinding actually occurs is in removing the film that develops on the surface of the workpiece. Another advantage of electrochemical grinding is that it can be used to machine hard materials. Hard materials pose a difficulty to other types of machining due to the tool wear that is associated with machining hard materials.[5] It may come as a bit of a surprise that electrochemical grinding can remove material from a hard surface and experience minimal wear. Because most material is removed through electrochemical reactions, the workpiece does not experience heat damage like it would in a conventional grinding process