How to choose the correct media to sandblast?

Media

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Description

Used for

Hardness

Shape

Glass Beads

Glass Beads are manufactured into preformed ball shapes, which effectively leave very smooth surfaces. Compared to angular abrasives, they produce a super smooth and brighter finish. Glass Beads can be recycled approximately up to 30 times.

Commonly used for automotive restoration, stainless steel fabrication, polishing of castings, and light deburring of metal molds and parts.

6-6

Round

Steel Shot

Steel Shot is manufactured into a spherical pellet-type abrasive made from carbon steel. It often produces a very smooth surface after use.

Steel shot abrasive is often used in cleaning and polishing metal surfaces and parts in automotive, aerospace, construction, foundry, shipbuilding, rail, and more.

40-51 HRC

Spherical

Steel Grit

It is softer than Aluminum Oxide Grit but still has a very high hardness quality. It has very fast stripping action and shot-peening applications.

It is commonly used in cleaning, etching, and surface preparations.

40-65 HRC

Angular

Corn Cob Grit

Corn Cob Grit is an organic, soft, and natural abrasive from hard cob. It is tumbling and absorbent that dries surfaces. Corn cob grit is non-toxic and safe for operators.

It is best used on wood surfaces and does not create any damage on the treated surface. It is used on oily and moist surfaces that quickly absorb it while finishing rough parts.

4-4.5

Ground, Angular shape

Walnut Shell Grit

It is a very versatile soft abrasive, organic, and biodegradable. Same as corn cob, it is non-toxic and imposes no hazard to health.

Best used in stripping and cleaning delicate surfaces and parts, Walnut Shell Grit provides effective applications such as cleaning hardwoods and aircraft and automotive stripping.

4.5-5

Angular

Copper Slag / Iron Silicate

Are you interested in learning more about crushed glass blasting media near me? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

In contrast to its name, it contains almost no copper. It is referred to as the best abrasive to use when ranked on cutting speed and cost per sq. ft.

It comes in an extra fine-grade abrasive used for surface blast-cleaning carpets, plastic, and wood.

7

Angular

Garnet

Garnet is a natural silicate mineral deposit. It has a high stripping rate, very low dust, and the lowest consumption rate.

Mainly used for wet or dry sandblasting and offers excellent coating preparation and adhesion properties.

6.5 - 7.5

Angular to Subangular

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Crushed glass abrasive blast is made from 100% recycled glass, made in the USA!  It is not imported and readily available!  Tired of dealing with out of stock, ocean freight delays?  Switching to crushed bottle glass is an economical, locally available, environmentally friendly, MADE IN THE USA option during these tough times.  Request a Quote Now!

It is non flammable and non sparking.  This is an inert abrasive that is recommended by NIOSH as a substitute for slag and mineral abrasives.  Contains little to no heavy metals, no free silica, and is therefore great for blasting projects where it is impractical to recover lost or spilled spent abrasive. Applications are numerous, ranging from use as a filler, anti skid, anti-slip additive for resin and epoxy coatings, surface prep for sandblasting, log home blasting, auto body restoration and blasting, concrete panel blasting, etc.  Crushed glass leaves a clean and bright surface on metal, and a very clean concrete surface, with an aggressive profile for coatings.  Fast results when blasting rubbery elastomeric coatings (way faster than using slags).

Crushed glass offers significant cost savings over using plastic beads, soda blast, and glass beads.  Because it is more aggressive, it is able to remove corrosion and tougher coatings that other medias cannot, such as thick and rubbery elastomeric coatings.

Glass blasting sand is very economical, available in a variety of grit sizes, and through a wide variety of grades, can achieve all MIL Profiles.  We sell glass blasting media from a variety of different manufacturers, with locations all around the country. 

This is a recycled glass product and should be shipped from a location closest to you - actual grit sizes available depend on what plant media is shipped from.   Please use our Quote Request Form.  We generally can reply back with a quote for you in a few hours, usually same day. 

MINIMUM ORDER:  We sell our glass by the pallet, so the  minimum quantity is to lbs depending on the plant and packaging you request. 

Sizes and corresponding achievable MIL Profiles - available from multiple locations, packaged in lb pallets (40, 50 lb bags) or lb tote bags.  All product sold in pallet quantities only.

• # and/or 10/20 and/or 12/20 and/or 12/40 depending on plant location: Coarse. This grade will remove heavy rust, thick coatings, and barnacles. Great for concrete, structural steel, heavy tanks.  MIL Profile:  3.0 to 5.0 mil, 3.8 mil typical profile.  SP5 surface finish.  850 micron is average particle size. 
• # Medium Coarse.  This blend of grades is great for light paint and rust removal in shipyards, on bridges and tanks, steel construction, precast concrete blasting.  Great for all general blasting needs.   MIL Profile:  2.0-3.5 mil on steel surfaces.  3.1 mil typical profile.  SP5 surface finish.  450 micron is average particle size. 
• #40/70 Medium.  Used on stainless steel for wet/dry blasting of light mil scale, maintenance work, graffiti and restoration, boat blasting.  Excellent for log home blasting and auto paint stripping (we recommend a PSI at about 45-50 when blasting thinner metal such as for auto restoration), as well as other light duty work.  MIL Profile: 1.0 to 2.0 on steel surfaces, max. mil profile achievable with this grade is 2.5 if you really know what you are doing.   2.3 mil typical profile.  SP5 surface finish.  250 micron is average particle size.  40-70 is the recommended mesh size when blasting brick.  A 70-80 PSI is also recommended so you do not cause discoloration of the brick or damage the Mortar in between.  Crushed glass will leave a nicer, brighter finish to the brick vs a denser media like copper slag.  Glass will also be less dusty than copper slag.
• #70/100 and/or a -70:  Fine. Great on softer metals and substrates.  Excellent for etching and degreasing on aluminum, car parts and wood.  Works as a good substitute for soda blasting, walnut shell, and corn starch.   Also can be used to obtain a satin finish on stainless steel.  MIL Profile: 0.5 to 1.0 on steel surfaces.  Good for fiberglass boats, powdercoating, light automotive work.

Sizes and corresponding achievable MIL Profiles - available mainly only out of the NORTHWEST USA, packaged in lb pallets (60, 50 lb bags) or 3,300 lb tote bags.  All product sold in pallet quantities only. 

• Coarse #16.   3.0 &#; 4.0 Mil Profile. Heavy rust, barnacles and thick coatings. Excellent for concrete, structural steel, tanks, barges, etc. Used as a blending stock for recycling blast operations.
• Coarse/Medium #16/30, 3.0 &#; 4.0 Mil Profile.  Great for rust and paint removal on ships, bridges, tanks.
• Medium/Fine # 30/50, 2.5 &#; 3.5 Mil Profile.  Great overall general abrasive for paint and rust removal.  It is also great for blasting concrete for aggregate exposure, shipyard work, structural steel, and elastomeric coatings.
• Fine #50, 1.5 -2.5 Mil Profile.  Fast and aggressive size for all finer blasting requiring a smooth, clean finish, excellent for powder coating, auto paint stripping.
• Super Fine #70, 1.5+ Mil Profile.  Also great for powder coating and auto restoration.  For use on substrates where minimal etching and profiling is preferred, such as aluminum or fiberglass.  This size is commonly used for log home blasting as well as for sandblasting swimming pools.
• Powder Fine #105F, very low profile.  Substitute for soda blasting media.  For very fine cleaning, brightening, deburring, and fine honing with no damage to the substrate.  Great for graffiti and soft metals as well as tile and brick .

Sizes and corresponding achievable MIL Profiles - available out of the GREAT LAKES AREA, packaged in 2,400 lb pallets (48, 50 lb bags) or 3,000 lb tote bags.  All product sold in pallet quantities only:

• Extra Coarse Crushed Glass, 4 mil profile ( and/or 10/20 and/or 12/20 and/or 12/40 depending on plant location)
• Coarse Crushed Bottle Glass, 3 mil profile
• Medium Crushed Bottle Glass, 2 mil profile (and/or 40/70 depending on plant location)
• 80/100 Fine Crushed Bottle Glass, 1 mil profile (and/or -70)
• 325 Mesh Crushed Bottle Glass, powder only  (We have extremely fine powders that are not used for sandblasting, please contact us with details as to what you are looking for.)

NEW Locations!  Now shipping 12/20, 20/40 and 40/70 glass abrasive out of locations convenient to IDAHO, INDIANA, WYOMING, COLORADO, NEVADA, OHIO, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA , CAROLINAS, TEXAS, VIRGINIA, & UTAH customers!  

Lead Time:  Spring, Summer, Fall lead times can range from one day to 2 months, depending on the plant and what you are ordering.  It changes daily with every plant around the country.  Winter time is best for immediate availability.

Benefits of Glass Blast:

• Efficiently Cleans steel, aluminum, wood, concrete, stone, fiberglass
• Excellent replacement to silica sand and coal slags.  Contains no heavy metals!
• Non Flammable
• Non Sparking
• Will not leave mineral deposits on your substrate (no rusting)
• Excellent for use as a separator or barrier with concrete pavers and forms.  A layer of crushed glass prevents concrete forms from sticking to each other during the curing process and can be swept into the grout cracks during installation.
• Glass Blast will leave a clean, bright finish to metal surfaces
• Excellent for achieving an aggressive profile for coatings, including cathodic protection and overlay performance
• Glass delivers very low particle embedment (less than 2%) which produces a whiter (SP-10) finish to the substrate.
• Crushed glass is even able to remove CARC chemical attack resistant coatings
• Able to remove tough vinyl and zinc tank coatings
• Lighter weight than most abrasives.  Contractors report back that they use at least 25% less abrasive (some say up to 50% less) when using glass as compared to mineral slags.
• It is also FAST and EFFICIENT.  Don't be surprised if you use less crushed glass than you do a traditional nickle slag.
• SAFE - no free silica, is chemically inert and non toxic, heavy metal free in most cases.
• Inert - can use it around water
• Mohs Hardness of 6.0 - similar to slags.
• Superior rust-back performance when compared with mineral/slag abrasives.
• Many tests confirm less dust when blasting with glass vs mineral slags - up to 31% less dust generated. 
• Uniform Density
• DUST IS TRANSLUCENT!  No visual barrier to the blasting operator and does not leave black "dust" all over. 
• A great alternative to coal slag.  Will not leave black dust all over.  It is however, very slick when left on sidewalks, concrete, etc. and should be cleaned up.
• Great for thick, softer coatings because it is a lighter weight abrasive.  It does not "bounce" back off the surface. It cuts it like a knife.
• Great for concrete and leaves no residue, discoloration, odor, imbedding, or ferrous impingement.
• Excellent additive for seal coating operations!
• Excellent replacement for soda blasting due to its lower cost and it will not leave a PH imbalance on the substrate (which often requires a PH wash solution so that the paint will adhere).  Glass will also cut through rust, and soda blast will not.
• Excellent replacement for corn cob blasting log homes as it will not embed into the wood, and thus you do not have to hand sand after blasting.  (This can equate to an 80% time savings over corn cob.)
• 100% recycled post-consumer bottle glass  It is a GREEN abrasive!  100% recycled glass.

Detailed Specs:

• Bulk density is 80-85 lbs/cu.ft.which is fairly light, please read Blasting Tips on how to best blast with this type of abrasive.  Other processing plants estimate density to be 65 lbs/cubic foot.
• Specific Gravity:  2.50
• Hardness:  Approx. 6.0 Mohs
• Shape:  Angular to sub angular
• LOI:  0.08
• Softening Point:  Approx. Degrees F.
• Embedment at 100 PSI: 0.0% to 0.4%

Safety:   We have sizes that are CARB Approved for outdoor blasting as well as listed on the QPL, but you must tell us if this is a requirement.  We also have some material  that can be blended with lead abatement Blastox, as well as pre-coating compounds like Pretox.  Please us your requirements so we can make sure we ship you approved material out of approved plants, as necessary.

**  Recommend to use at 90 PSI for best results and increased energy savings (unless you are blasting aluminum or other soft surfaces.) 

** The thinner the abrasive to air mixture, the higher your rate of production will be.  Be stingy - meter the abrasive back until you can no longer see it in the air stream.  This may sound counter-intuitive, but glass blasting is different from heavier abrasives. 

Tips On Blasting With Glass Abrasive:

• You do NOT want a lot of abrasive in the air stream.  The grains collide with themselves, lose energy, and hit your surface with less impact.
• Your goal is to not be able to see the abrasive in the air stream.  If you can see it, meter back, as you have too much abrasive going through your hose. 
• Start by purging your line so it is abrasive free.  Then slowly open the feed until you can see the abrasive in the air stream.  Then slowly close the feed until you can no longer see the abrasive in the air stream.  This is what you want.
• If you have too little abrasive in the air stream, you will likely hear a high pitched whistling sound.  Start over and this time repeat the process slower so you can see when the abrasive is no longer visible in the air stream.  Be Stingy!  You will achieve better results with a lean supply.
• Move your nozzle faster than you normally would.  Glass abrasive blasts very fast, very clean.  You will be surprised how light and sharp it is, and how much feathering you get with it. 
• Blasting hard mil scale will require using a finer grit size, as it cuts more like a knife than a hammer.  This is why it is great for softer, elastomeric coatings that often bounce back heavier abrasives. 
• Blast at a 90 or 100 psi, or less.  Higher pressure will be counterproductive due to how light glass abrasive is.  You will simply shatter the glass rather than allow it to work for you.
• You can use a finer size than you would normally use. 
• Estimate 5 to 6 lbs per sq ft usage as a high limit.  So a 1,000 sq ft area would require 5,000 to 6,000 lbs of media.  NOTE HOWEVER that we have many contractors reporting back that they use as little as a third of this. It really depends on your equipment, skill, substrate, what you are removing, how much you meter back the abrasive, etc..  It is easy to waste glass because you do not require nearly as much in the airstream as with conventional abrasives.

We can ship almost anywhere in the country.   Request A Quote Now! 

For more countertops with glass chipsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.