Shotblasting Abrasive Application Chart

ABRASIVE

SHAPE

COMMENT

HARDNESS
MOH

METAL
REMOVAL

SURFACE
FINISH
1-10

APPLICATIONS

REUSABLE

Chilled Iron

Sharp Angular

Metallic Iron
Abrasive

7.5
-
8.0

High

1.10

Extensively used in the foundry industry where free iron contamination is acceptable.  Has a high speed cutting action that is ideal for ferrous castings, steel fabrications, structural steelwork etc

Reclaimed
Aluminum Oxide

V. Ang

8.5

Med

5.7

Fast cleaning of components where some surface contamination is acceptable.
General cleaning of steelwork, fabrication, heavily corroded components, valves,
auto wheels etc. Surface preparation for painting, enamelling, epoxy coating etc.
Timber Treatments.

Virgin
Aluminum Oxide

V. Ang

9.0

Med-High

7.8

Fast cleaning of components when minimum surface contamination is important
but a high degree of removal of parent material is required, or may be tolerated.
Fabrications, Steelwork, Forgings, Surface Etching and preparation etc.

Glass Bead

Round

5.5

Nil

0.2

General cleaning of machinery, dies, moulds, cylinder heads, valves etc. Removal of heat scale and discoloration from processing operations.  Deburring of cast
metals, rubbers, plastics etc. Absence of surface contamination and no measurable removal of  parent material make this the ideal medium for close tolerance components, artificial joints, etc.

Dehydrated
Vegetable
Products

Gran

100% vegetable
and biodegradable

3.0

Nil

0.1

Timber Treatments.
In the form of crushed olive stones, almond shells, corn cobs etc., these media are used for decarbonising and polishing of close tolerance components, jewellery etc. Advantages with engine decarbonising that remaining media will burn away without any damage to valves or cylinders

Ceramics

Ang

9.0

High

5.10

The hardest of abrasives, ceramics are used mainly in specialist applications such as surface etching of very hard alloys, deburring of e.g. chromium steel castings etc. Cost effective only in relatively few instances.

Steel Shot

Round

Tempered Steel In
A Spherical Form
Available In A
Range Of Sizes

7.5
Low
-
Med
2.6

Low-Med

2.6

Used mainly in airless blasting to minimise wear on impellers.  Slow cleaning action with low parent material removal.  Also used for shot-peening to increase fatigue life of metals, especially in the aircraft and space industries.

Plastic

Nylon,
polycarbonate,
urea / melamine
formaldehyde

2.0-4.0

Nil

0.1

Used for deflashing, mould cleaning and paint stripping without substrate damage

Sinterball

A high
temperature
sintered Bauxite

9.0

Low
-
Med

2.5

Particularly used by monumental masons

EXPENDABLE

Copper Slag

Ang

A by-product of
copper refining

6.5 – 7.0

Med

6.8

This material possesses a hard dense structure with sharp edges, giving high abrasion characteristics ideal for general steelwork cleaning with low surface contamination on a throw-away basis.

Garnet

Ang

A hard natural
mineral

7.0-8.0

Med-High

5.7

For high performance blasting and sites requiring low dust levels. The coarser grades may be recycled a number of times.

Abrablast-
Fine

Gran

A controlled
mixture of recycled
glass grit and
Calcium silicate

5.5

Med

6.7

An expendable abrasive, ideal for cleaning stonework, brickwork etc. No known Health Hazards - environmentally friendly re-cycling of glass bottle residue

Abrablast
Medium

Ang

A controlled
mixture of recycled
glass grit and
Calcium silicate

5.5

Med

7

An expendable abrasive, ideal for cleaning concrete, preparation and deeper profile on stone and brick prior to coating. Also light metalwork.  No known Health Hazards - environmentally friendly re-cycling of glass bottle residue

Calcium
Carbonate

Gran

Fine carboniferous
limestone

4
-
5

Nil

0.1

For very gentle cleaning, on virtually all substrates