Which Materials Can Be Used For Sandblasting Purposes?

Sandblaster, abrasive blasting, bead blasting or shot blasting is a process of cleaning the dirt or rust and other contaminants from any target surface by shooting abrasive materials with extensive pressure.

Two types of material can be categorized in sand blaster industry.

Read more about this on Know Sandblasting

·         Mostly used sandblaster material

Materials that are usually sand blasted by the companies are the items made from Glass, stone, metals, wood and plastics steel, brass, aluminum, pewter, silver, etc. All above mentioned items are sandblasted except diamond. It is because of its hard surface which is difficult to sand blast as the sandblaster media used by the companies cannot handle the pressure. Other Stones are sandblasted to create carvings on memorials or monuments pillars. Sandblaster of a metal is done dislocate the rust and sharp edges or as an adhesion of coatings and adhesives. Items made from Wood and brick are sandblasted to remove remains of paint, oil and dirt and to generate a neat surface which can be easily painted. Plastic materials can be sandblasted for decorative purposes. In this case the work has to done with much care since plastic is much delicate and needs to be handled carefully otherwise it will wear away.

·         Materials used as an abrasive in sandblaster.

These materials include silica sand, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide,Garnet, Glass Beads, Walnut Shells,and Plastic Pellets etc.

The process of sand blasting involves mixing a hard abrasive or media with air under high pressure and then allowing material to be gradually worn away by leading  the abrasive material  directly onto the surface of the material. The time taken by the abrasive stream depends upon the amount of material to be sand blasted. The abrasive stream is held in one location and the material is removed by pressure.Directing the nozzle part of the sand blasting setup nearer to the surface reduces the area being blasted, and enhances the chances of removal of sandblasted material. By locating the nozzle of the equipment farther distance, the area of sandblaster increases and the chances of removal of material minimizes. If the nozzle is directed nearer to the targeted material, a hole can be abraded through the surface very quickly.

The cost regarding the abrasive media or materials used to sandblast varies from material to material.

A customer will find Silica Sand as an abrasive which is available at a cheaper rate as low as $0.05/lb.

Aluminum Oxide is also another good option as it creates its impact 30-40times over Silica sand and has a static charge. It offers a moderate cost at $1.00/lb. It fractures the material into round shape.

Silicon Carbide is another option which lasts 40-50 times over silica sand. Silicon Carbide when used as an abrasive cost about $1.60/lb.

The advantage of using silicon carbide over Aluminum oxide is that  it fractures the material faster than Aluminum Oxide, hoses and nozzles can be applied quickly, has no static charge, and dismantles the object providing it a sharp edge as compared to Aluminum oxide.