Sandblasting

Sandblasting, sometimes known as abrasive blasting, is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against a surface under high pressure to smooth a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface or remove surface contaminants. A pressurised fluid, typically compressed air, or a centrifugal wheel is used to propel the blasting material. The first abrasive blasting process was patented by Benjamin Chew Tilghman on 18 October 1870.
There are several variants of the process, using various media; some are highly abrasive, whereas others are milder. The most abrasive are shot blasting and sandblasting. Moderately abrasive variants include glass bead blasting and plastic media blasting with ground-up plastic stock or walnut shells and corncobs. Some of these substances can cause anaphylactic shock to individuals allergic to the media. A mild version is sodablasting. In addition, there are alternatives that are barely abrasive or nonabrasive, such as ice blasting and dry-ice blasting.

Types

Sandblasting

Sand blasting is also known as abrasive blasting, which is a generic term for the process of smoothing, shaping and cleaning a hard surface by forcing solid particles across that surface at high speeds; the effect is similar to that of using sandpaper, but provides a more even finish with no problems at corners or crannies. Sandblasting can occur naturally, usually as a result of particles blown by wind causing aeolian erosion, or artificially, using compressed air. An artificial sandblasting process was patented by Benjamin Chew Tilghman on 18 October 1870. Thomas Wesley Pangborn perfected the idea and added compressed air in 1904.
Sandblasting equipment typically consists of a chamber in which sand and air are mixed. The mixture travels through a hand-held nozzle to direct the particles toward the surface or work piece. Nozzles come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. Boron carbide is a popular material for nozzles because it resists abrasive wear well.

Wet abrasive blasting

Wet abrasive blasting uses water as the fluid moving the abrasives. The advantages are that the water traps the dust produced, and lubricates the surface. The water cushions the impact on the surface, reducing the removal of sound material.
One of the original pioneers of the wet abrasive process in late 1940s was Norman Ives Ashworth who found the advantages of using a wet process as a strong alternative to dry blasting. The process is available in all conventional formats including hand cabinets, walk-in booths, automated production machinery and total loss portable blasting units. Advantages include the ability to use extremely fine or coarse media with densities ranging from plastic to steel and the ability to use hot water and soap to allow simultaneous degreasing and blasting. The reduction in dust also makes it safer to use siliceous media and to abrade asbestos, radioactive or poisonous surfaces.
Process speeds are generally not as fast as conventional dry abrasive blasting when using the equivalent size and type of media, in part because the presence of water between the media and the substrate being processed creates a lubricating cushion that can protect both the surface and the media, reducing breakdown rates. Reduced impregnation of blasting material into the surface, dust reduction and the elimination of static cling can result in a very clean surface.
Wet blasting of mild steel will result in immediate or 'flash' corrosion of the blasted steel substrate due to the presence of water. The lack of surface recontamination also allows the use of single equipment for multiple blasting operations—e.g., stainless steel and mild steel items can be processed in the same equipment with the same media without problems.

Vapor blasting

A variant of wet blasting is vapor blasting. In this process pressurized air is added to the water in the nozzle producing a high-speed mist, called "vapor". This process is even milder than wet blasting, allowing mating surfaces to be cleaned while retaining their ability to mate.

Bead blasting

Bead blasting is the process of removing surface deposits by applying fine glass beads at a high pressure without damaging the surface. It is used to clean calcium deposits from pool tiles or any other surfaces, remove embedded fungus, and brighten grout color. It is also used in auto body work to remove paint. In removing paint for auto body work, bead blasting is preferred over sand blasting, as sand blasting tends to create a greater surface profile than bead blasting. Bead blasting is often used in creating a uniform surface finish on machined parts. It is additionally used in cleaning mineral specimens, most of which have a Mohs hardness of 7 or less, and would thus be damaged by the sand media.

Wheel blasting

In wheel blasting, a spinning wheel propels the abrasive against an object. It is typically categorized as an airless blasting operation because there is no propellant used. A wheel machine is a high-power, high-efficiency blasting operation with recyclable abrasive. Specialized wheel blast machines propel plastic abrasive in a cryogenic chamber and is usually used for deflashing plastic and rubber components. The size of the wheel blast machine, and the number and power of the wheels vary considerably depending on the parts to be blasted as well as on the expected result and efficiency. The first blast wheel was patented by Wheelabrator in 1932. In China, the first blast wheel was built around the 1950s, Qinggong Machinery is one of the earliest manufacturers of blast wheel.

Micro-abrasive blasting

Micro-abrasive blasting is dry abrasive blasting process that uses small nozzles to deliver a fine stream of abrasive accurately to a small part or a small area on a larger part. Generally the area to be blasted is from about 1 mm² to only a few cm² at most. Also known as pencil blasting, the fine jet of abrasive is accurate enough to write directly on glass and delicate enough to cut a pattern in an eggshell. The abrasive media particle sizes range from 10 micrometres up to about 150 micrometres. Higher pressures are often required.
The most common micro-abrasive blasting systems are commercial bench-mounted units consisting of a power supply and mixer, exhaust hood, nozzle, and gas supply. The nozzle can be hand-held or fixture mounted for automatic operation. Either the nozzle or part can be moved in automatic operation.

Automated blasting

Automated blasting is simply the automation of the abrasive blasting process. Automated blasting is frequently just a step in a larger automated procedure, usually involving other surface treatments such as preparation and coating applications. Care is often needed to isolate the blasting chamber from mechanical components that may be subject to dust fouling.

Dry-ice blasting

In this type of blasting, air and dry ice are used. Surface contaminants are dislodged by the force of frozen carbon dioxide particles hitting at high velocity, and by slight shrinkage due to freezing which disrupts adhesion bonds. The dry ice sublimates, leaving no residue to clean up other than the removed material. Dry ice is a relatively soft material, so is less destructive to the underlying material than sandblasting.

Bristle blasting

Bristle blasting, unlike other blasting methods, does not require a separate blast medium. The surface is treated by a brush-like rotary tool made of dynamically tuned high-carbon steel wire bristles. Repeated contact with the sharp, rotating bristle tips results in localized impact, rebound, and crater formation, which simultaneously cleans and coarsens the surface.

Vacuum blasting

Vacuum blasting is a method that generates very little dust and spill, as the blast tool does dry abrasive blasting and collects used blast media and loosened particles from the surface to be treated, simultaneously. Blast media consumption is relatively low with this method, as the used blast media is automatically separated from dust and loosened particles, and reused several times.

Applications

The lettering and engraving on most modern cemetery monuments and markers is created by abrasive blasting.
Sandblasting can also be used to produce three-dimensional signage. This type of signage is considered to be a higher-end product as compared to flat signs. These signs often incorporate gold leaf overlay and sometimes crushed glass backgrounds which is called smalts. When sandblasting wood signage it allows the wood grains to show and the growth rings to be raised, and is a popular way to give a sign a traditional carved look. Sandblasting can also be done on clear acrylic glass and glazing as part of a store front or interior design.
Sandblasting can be used to refurbish buildings or create works of art. Modern masks and resists facilitate this process, producing accurate results.
Sandblasting techniques are used for cleaning boat hulls, as well as brick, stone, and concrete work. Sandblasting is used for cleaning industrial as well as commercial structures, but is rarely used for non-metallic workpieces.

Equipment

Portable blast equipment

Mobile dry abrasive blast systems are typically powered by a diesel air compressor. The air compressor provides a large volume of high pressure air to a single or multiple "blast pots". Blast pots are pressurized, tank-like containers, filled with abrasive material, used to allow an adjustable amount of blasting grit into the main blasting line. The number of blast pots is dictated by the volume of air the compressor can provide. Fully equipped blast systems are often found mounted on semi-tractor trailers, offering high mobility and easy transport from site to site. Others are hopper-fed types making them lightweight and more mobile.
Portable blast systems use either a welded pressure vessel, to overcome nozzle backpressure, to store and transfer abrasive media into a connected blast hose from a higher pressure differential, or use a non-pressurized hopper, which utilizes a process called dual induction, which conveys abrasive media to a tandem blast nozzle using an air powered jet pump or eductor, in which abrasive is propelled through a blast nozzle via a separate air hose connected to the blast nozzle, which eliminates the requirement for a pressure vessel.