Common abrasive media guide

MXS3000

Common Abrasive Media

Crushed glass is very aggressive. Used for economical, general clean-up.

Plastic is available in a variety of sizes and materials (urea, acrylic, polyester, and melamine). These materials are ideal for application such as auto restoration to deliver a high stripping rate without damaging or warping the substrate material.

Brown aluminum oxide is a widely used abrasive media. This media produces a textured surface, good for repairing surfaces for recoating. It is excellent for removing heavy foreign materials, deburring, and etching glass and stone. It is a fast-cutting media that can be reused many times.

White aluminum oxide can be used in the same applications as the brown aluminum oxide, but white aluminum oxide is considered to be a clean media, used in high performance processes where contamination of metal oxide must be kept to a minimum.

Aluminum / glass mixtures provides a combination of glass bead finishing and aluminum oxide cleaning. It provides a brighter finish than single abrasives, and it is good for removing rust and machine marks on metal.

Silicon carbide is the hardest abrasive material available. It is fast cutting and can be reused many times. It is high in initial cost, but removes material quickly to reduce blasting time.

Grit	Abrasive	Abrasive	Dust	Relative
Range	Type	Life	Level	Cost

35-60	Walnut shell	Good	High	Low
25-325	Glass beads	Better	Low	Low
25-70	Crushed glass	Better	Low	Low
30-40	Plastics	Better	Low	High
24-400	Brown alum. oxide	Best	Low	Med -High
150-240	White alum. oxide	Best	Low	High
50-100	Alum./glass mixture	Best	Low	Med
24-240	Silicon carbide	Best	Low	High

Available commercial abrasive blasting media

Acrylic	Pumice
Aluminum oxide	Sand
Ceramic beads	Silicon carbide
Corn cob	Sodium Bicarbonate (soda)
Garnet	Starch
Glass Beads	Steel grit
Glass, crushed	Steel shot
Melamine	Urea
Pecan shell	Walnut shell
Polyester	Consult your abrasive supplier for
	recommendations.

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET (MSDS) CAN BE OBTAINED FROM YOUR ABRASIVE SUPPLIER

MOISTURE IN COMPRESSED AIR

Moisture in the air when compressed will create water in the compressor tank. When humidity is high or when a compressor is in continuous use for an extended period of time, moisture will collect in the tank. When blasting, this water will be carried from the tank through the hose and will be mixed with the abrasive media.

IMPORTANT: THIS MIXING OF WATER AND ABRASIVE MATERIAL WILL CLOG THE SYSTEM. THE BLASTER WILL NOT OPERATE. A compressed air dryer and/or water separator will help eliminate this problem.