Sand has been the traditional abrasive medium for blasting materials and surfaces in various commercial and industrial applications. That's why the terms "sandblasting" and "abrasive blasting" can be used interchangeably.
However, with the availability of alternative abrasive media types like walnut shells, glass beads, garnet, silicon carbide, aluminium oxide, and steel grit, many sandblasting contractors no longer use sand a blasting medium.
If you're looking for the perfect abrasive media for your blasting project, you may be confused about which type of abrasive blasting media to choose. Here's what to consider to ensure you choose the right abrasive material for your job.
Strength and hardness of the media
Different abrasive materials have different physical properties. How hard a media is determines how aggressively it can cut through a material or surface. Materials like aluminium oxide, steel grit and silicone carbine offer superior strength and hardness compared to gentler options like walnut shells and glass beads.
Therefore, if you are working on a softer surface that won't be able to handle a harsher abrasive blasting material, it would be better to play safe and opt for a gentler abrasive media.
Size of the media
In general, larger grit sizes will deliver faster cutting action. On the downside, they can also lead to excess removal of surface material. Media with smaller grits, on the other hand, can take up a lot of time to get the job done. However, they are less likely to lead to over-blasting.
Consider how friable the surface material you will be blasting is, as well as the desired working speed when determining how big or small the grit size of your blasting material should be.
Reuse potential of the media
If you're looking for sandblasting media that can be used multiple times before requiring replacement, you will need to choose material whose shape is minimally altered during the blasting process. The hardest materials like silicon carbide and steel shots tend to have the biggest reuse potential, generally speaking.
Reusing your abrasive media is a great way to reduce the demand for new sandblasting material and also cut costs.
If you think through the above discussed factors and carefully assess your needs, choosing the right material for your abrasive blasting project shouldn't be a difficult thing. If you have any special concerns that you want to have addressed before making a choice, feel free to consult a professional sandblasting contractor near you.