Media blasting is the operation of compression blasting whereby 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. Compressed air is used to propel the blasting material.
There are several variants of the Media Blasting process that Cardinal Environmental uses; some are highly abrasive, whereas others are milder:
- Walnut Shell Grit* is recommended for use on soft surfaces such as aluminum, brass, wood, fiberglass and other surfaces where no pitting is desired. Walnut shells will leave a smooth, dull finish. Walnut Grit is softer than sand and when used properly maintains the integrity of underlying structure. It is recommended for use in removing graffiti, cleaning engines and transmissions, soft metals, prepping metal for paint, reloading, restoring historical items, etc.
- Baking Soda is a mild media and is very effective for mold and fire/smoke damage cleanup as it cleans and deodorizes.
- Metal Shot is obviously highly abrasive and as such is a popular method for cleaning, stripping and improving a metal surface. Steel shot is manufactured into a round ball shape that results in a smooth and polished surface.
- Metal Grit offers a very fast stripping action for many types of surface contaminants from steel and other foundry metals. Because of its angular shape it is often used for creating an etched surface on metal or concrete.
*Walnut shell blasting grit is an excellent replacement for sand (silica free) to avoid inhalation health concerns. Being Silica free reduces your risk of Silicosis; a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust. Cardinal Environmental does not use sand for media blasting.
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This post was written by Jill Rutherford
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