When sandblasting is called for it is important to choose the correct media or sandblasting material, to do this one must identify the purpose of the process. Depending on the task there are different media blast materials, some work much better than others on various materials; furthermore there is a considerable difference in cost from one media to another. Obviously sand is a primary media for sandblasting but the media blast can also be glass beads or aluminum oxide. The choice has a lot to do with what it is you want to accomplish; are you looking to remove rust and paint or are you cleaning or etching on glass or granite? As some materials can be re-used this is another factor to take into account when you choose the media you wish to use.
sandblasting is an industrial process which used compressed air to drive the abrasive media against a surface with the objective being removing material or altering the appearance or finish. There are a number of materials that can be used for sandblasting, each one is different and has particular traits. Sand or silica sand is perhaps the least expensive of all the possible media and when the objective is stripping paint or removing rust is thought to be the best. The only real drawbacks to using sand is that it can only be used one time and the material must be captured and removed from the site and the dust that is generated by the process can be a safety concern. When blasting with sand it is important that the operator wears protective clothing and breathing apparatus.
A very good blasting material is aluminum oxide, it is an excellent choice for general blasting such as paint and rust removal and it offers about 40 times the life expectancy of sand as it can be used over and over although at a slightly higher cost. For a material which lasts longer again, up to 50 times, silicon carbide is a good choice; it also cuts considerably faster than aluminum oxide.
There are many materials that are used as media blast; walnut shells, glass and plastic beads and steel balls and even baking soda. Sandblasting is not limited to harsh material removal, with the right media and the right touch, sandblasting can be used effectively on very fragile material.
Business Name such as acrylic and melamine are available from Opti-Blast. The media is ideal for use in many industries.
