Stainless steel is widely used in the industrial sector due to its physical properties. Stainless steel is an alloy consisting of steel with other special metals such as chromium, nickel or manganese. It is extremely corrosion-resistant and is ideal for a variety of products and applications, such as complex pipe and pipeline engineering, pipe fittings, hoses, food storage tanks and taps, cabinets and locks with keys, screws and nuts, mainly in the industrial sector.
Sandblasting the inner wall of the pipe allows liquids and gases to flow smoothly and quickly through the pipe, thereby improving the efficiency of the pipe and the efficiency of operation. Numerous studies have shown that corroded inner walls have a lower conveying capacity than inner walls that are regularly cleaned using sandblasting operations. Even a slight increase in pipeline efficiency means an improvement in financial data and company profitability.
The chromium alloy in stainless steel reacts with oxygen in the air to form a layer of chromium oxide, which protects the stainless steel surface from the negative effects of climatic factors: rust and corrosion. If stainless steel parts are not cleaned regularly, they are deposited with various impurities and dirt, and the oxidation process cannot proceed, which eventually leads to rust and corrosion of the steel.
Sandblasting is essential for cleaning and maintaining the performance of stainless steel components. Special blasting materials that do not contaminate the surface with iron particles are often used: red garnet and white or brown fused aluminum oxide (white or brown fused corundum).
Red garnet is a pure natural almandine with extremely high chemical stability and little or no grit penetration into the substrate. Red garnet is extremely hard (Mohs hardness 8) and produces little dust from blasting. It is a non-toxic material (<0.1% silicate content), an environmentally friendly abrasive, and is also very effective in blasting and cleaning stainless steel parts. Garnet blasting ensures that the stainless steel surface is optimally cleaned without iron contamination, thus preparing it for subsequent anti-corrosion treatment. Red garnet can be used for wet blasting and dry blasting. In addition, garnet can be used to cut metal or to pattern the surface with a water jet cutting machine. In the oil and gas industry, blasting with red garnet is effective for maintaining stainless steel pipes. In addition, garnet is used in the food industry, such as blasting food cans, stainless steel drums, as well as water treatment plants and water pipes in hospitals and other enterprises.
White or brown fused aluminum oxide (brown or white fused corundum) is a very pure abrasive with excellent hardness (Mohs hardness 9) and does not contaminate the blasting surface. This material allows for fast and efficient blasting and is particularly suitable for use in blasting rooms as it can be reused many times. This abrasive is made from artificial corundum by a fusion process. The aluminum oxide particles are extremely hard and sharp and have extremely high cutting and cleaning rates. As an environmentally friendly material, it is successfully used for blasting stainless steel parts in shipbuilding, oil and gas, food industry and other industries, especially for pipeline and pipeline infrastructure, food tanks, stainless steel drums, etc.
The total cost of blasting a cleaned area is calculated by adding the cost of material procurement, waste disposal, neutralization, and labor and equipment costs. This cost is divided by the cleaning rate (blasted area per hour) to obtain the actual blasting cost. Unlike other materials, the actual cost of blasting with garnet and fused corundum is much lower than other blasting materials (blasting sand, slag) because these materials clean faster and more efficiently, which can significantly reduce material consumption. Lower blasting costs also mean lower costs to neutralize waste, making the entire blasting process more efficient.
