Why Choosing The Right Material For Abrasive Blasting

Abrasive blasting is the operation of forcibly thrusting abrasive materials against a surface. This surface treatment is widely used in various industries for multiple purposes. High pressure is applied to smoothen a rough surface or vice-versa. The process also removes all the contaminants from the surface so that it is a clear spot for painting, bonding or other coating operations.

There are various sandblasting abrasives. However, each one has a defined quality and purpose. One must examine the kind of work and then venture to buy abrasive materials. Purchasing the top-notch quality is also quintessential. Speed Blast L.L.C. oil field and industrial suppliers are the leading sandblasting companies in UAE. In addition to these, the company also provides blasting equipment for sale hence proving to be the one-stop solution for any of your sandblasting needs,

Materials used for Abrasive Blasting Techniques

• Aluminum Oxide-

Aluminum Oxide is known for its hardness and strength. It can be used for various abrasive purposes. It is optimum for pressure blasting on glass, granite, marble and steel. Besides, its ability to deeply etch males it the perfect choice to prepare a surface before painting and coating. Aluminium oxide is eco-friendly and can be recycled for future uses. Besides all of these, it is also cost-effective.

• Glass Beads-

Glass beads are not as aggressive as other media. Hence it is apt for surfaces that require a softer and brighter finish. One such surface would be stainless steel, stone, wood, fibreglass etc. Glass beads can be recycled multiple times and do not cause any hazard to the environment. These are available in numerous sizes to suit all kinds of industrial purposes.

• Garnet-

Garnet is a semi-precious stone in its natural form. It is then washed and processed for use as an abrasive. The hardness of 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale makes Garnet efficient in creating superior finish required prior to coatings. It produces less dust, hence can be used in confined spaces. Garnet lasts for a long time. Moreover, it is semi-reusable, too, i.e. it can be used several times under the right conditions. Speedblast is one of the best abrasive suppliers in uae and dealers of various Garnet blasting products.

• Plastic Abrasives-

Plastic Abrasives are made of crushed urea, polyester or acrylic. These are available in varying hardness and size. It is regarded as the best abrasive for mould cleaning, blasting of plastic parts etc. The most common industries that invest in plastic abrasives are aviation, automotive, boating and electronics. Plastic is less aggressive material. Hence it won’t remove the substrate material and lend a bright finish.

• Steel Grit-

Steel grit has an unparalleled hardness and superior finish. It is highly aggressive and can easily eradicate surface contaminants from steel and other metals. It can also texture a surface for coating and hardening applications. It is fully recyclable hence cost-effective. The angular shape cannot be fractured easily, so there is minimum dust produced during the usage. Steel grit serves the purpose only if the correct size, hardness and shape are kept in mind before use.

• Steel Shot-

Steel shot is a wrought carbon steel blast media. It is available in various sizes to meet all of the blasting needs. These are round and ball-shaped; hence, the usage results in a smooth and polished surface. There are multiple uses of steel shots such as removal of contaminants, deburring, deflashing, industrial cleaning, peening etc. Being recyclable and producing minimum dust, steel shot is cost-effective and a compatible blasting media.

• Ceramic Grit-

Ceramic grits are mild abrasive blasting materials. These can lend superior matte finish to the surface. The round shape has the strength and ensures that there is a negligible amount of dust released during the blasting process. Numerous substrates can be treated with ceramic grits. Hard steel, stainless steel, aluminium, titanium, magnesium, copper, brass and even plastics are prepared with ceramic grits.

• Walnut shell-

As the name suggests, walnut shells are a naturally hard abrasive material formed by crushing the shells of walnut. It is available in various sizes and widely used to polish the soft surfaces that would otherwise be damaged by hard abrasives. Fibreglass, wood, plastic and stone are polished with the help of walnut shells. Gems and jewellery are also treated with these since they bring no harm to the metals.

• Silica Carbide-

Silica Carbide is known to be the hardest abrasive and is useful for most challenging surface finishes. Various colours and sizes of this abrasive are available for sanding purposes. The primary uses are mainly polishing, lapping, glass etching and other heavy-duty blast cutting applications. Silica carbide ranges from 9 to 9.5 on the Mohs scale and is suitable for even surface removal. The highly recyclable nature of this material makes it cost-effective too.

• Waterjet Cutting-

Waterjet cutting equipment is capable of cutting a wide array of materials. A high-pressure jet of water or abrasives mixed in water are used for sanding purposes. Abrasive waterjet that consists of sanding materials along with water is capable of cutting even hard materials such as granite, while the water only jet can pierce through the wood, rubber and other softer metals. These are the modern forms of blasting and are widely accepted at mining and aerospace industries for cutting shaping and other purposes.

The purposes of abrasive blasting can vary from different industries. However, it is necessary to employ high-quality abrasive material for the use to endure maximum results. Steel Blast ensures that all the materials are of superior quality. Do Reach out for the leading sandblasting companies in UAE for all your industrial needs.