While the common term may be "sandblasting media" or "sand blast media," many different types of media blasting have replaced sand as the abrasive of choice when surfaces are being finished, shaped, or otherwise modified. Sandblasting may involve softer materials, such as walnut shells and baking soda, or harder materials, such as silicon carbide and steel shot hard media, which cut very hard surfaces. Regardless of the material used, sandblasting can strip paint, remove mold and fungus, increase surface finish, prepare materials for painting or coating, and even improve surface properties, such as fatigue resistance.
If you need to do some abrasive blasting but don't know which type of blasting media to use, this guide to abrasive blasting media will introduce you to four of the more common types.
1. Glass Bead Blasting
What is Glass Bead Blasting?
Glass bead blasting is a versatile abrasive blasting method that provides a beautiful satin finish suitable for a variety of applications. It uses lead-free, spherical soda-lime glass. Part of the appeal of glass bead blasting is that it produces a smooth, shiny finish, as opposed to the matte effect of angular abrasives.
What are the benefits of glass bead blasting?
Glass bead media offers many advantages over other types of blasting media. In addition to a beautiful finish, blasting with glass beads offers other benefits, including:
- Free of free silica
- Environmentally friendly
- Recyclable
- Suitable for delicate, thin-walled parts
- Chemically inert
What are the disadvantages of glass bead blasting?
If the material is particularly hard, it may take longer to complete the job using glass beads. They also do not cause any etching of the surface.
What is glass bead blasting used for?
Glass beads help you achieve a uniform surface finish without changing the dimensions of the part. They are not as aggressive as some other media and are well suited to metals such as stainless steel.
Some uses for glass bead blasting include:
- Shot blasting
- Deburring
- Rust, paint, and scale removal
- Cosmetic finishing
- Removing calcium deposits
- Polishing materials such as cast iron, stainless steel, and aluminum
- Preparing metal surfaces for painting and powder coating
A unique application for glass bead blasting is shot blasting, which helps metals better resist fatigue and stress corrosion cracking. One study found that it can increase fatigue strength by about 17.14%. It gives you an attractive satin finish while increasing the durability of your product.
2. Aluminum Oxide Blasting
What is aluminum oxide blasting?
Aluminum oxide blasting media is a more aggressive blasting material that produces results quickly and has excellent strength. Its angled but lightweight design allows it to etch deeply without adding surface stress to thinner substances.
What are the advantages of aluminum oxide blasting?
Aluminum oxide has a variety of uses, and its advantages include:
- Hard and strong enough for tough metals
- Quick etching and contouring
- Lightweight, won't damage thinner materials
- Cost-effective
- Recyclable
What are the disadvantages of aluminum oxide blasting?
Some issues do arise with this material, and aluminum oxide:
May be too aggressive for certain surfaces
Can cause damage to sandblasting equipment
What is aluminum oxide sandblasting used for?
Aluminum oxide has a sharp edge and hardness and is often used for:
Grinding
Polishing
Edge rounding
Paint removal
Finishing
Preparing surfaces for painting
It can be used with glass, marble, granite, steel, and more.
3. Plastic Sandblasting
What is Plastic Sandblasting?
This dry cleaning media is versatile and popular for many reasons. It is a fairly soft media that is ideal for applications that only require surface removal or modification. It can help remove unwanted material without damaging the underlying substrate. Many industries benefit greatly from this type of abrasive because it provides effective cleaning without destroying items.
Abrasives are made from crushed urea, polyester, or acrylic plastics. The hardness and particle size may vary, but they are all angular pieces.
What are the advantages of plastic sandblasting?
Some of the advantages of plastic abrasives include:
Abrasives on the surface without damaging the underlying material
Low dust content
Available in a variety of sizes and shapes
Durable
Silica-free
What are the disadvantages of plastic sandblasting?
While plastic abrasives are useful for cleaning, they don't work as well on hard metals or finishing. They may be slower to work on softer materials.
What is Plastic Blasting Used For?
Plastic abrasives are common in fine applications or cleaning. You may find them used for paint stripping, mildew removal, deburring, and deburring. They are useful for paint stripping because they are safer than chemical paint stripping and are generally effective. Materials often used with plastic abrasives include:
Aluminum
Brass
Fiberglass Parts
Plastics
Industries such as automotive, aerospace, marine, and electronics use plastics as blasting media. These industries often create sensitive parts where the substrate cannot be altered. Plastics make this possible.
Using Sandblasting Media on Your Next Project
Projects in different industries have unique needs, and the sandblasting media you use on those projects can have a big impact. Be sure to weigh the pros and cons of each media to determine which is best for your material.
We have found that many applications can benefit from glass bead blasting. Whether you need to finish metal, add texture, remove paint or mold, or prepare a surface for coating, glass bead blasting is often an excellent choice. Don't forget the uniform, satin finish and fatigue resistance it provides.
