What Is the ROI of Using Superoxalloy Abrasives?

To understand the total revenue of a blasting project, you have to consider the abrasive cost, labor, amount of abrasive used, and the quality of the finished surface. The amount of time you take on the project also matters, as expenses can add up the longer it takes to complete. Research and field tests demonstrate how superoxalloy abrasives outperform other abrasives and their impact on profitability and business performance. They deliver superior results on time while maximizing the profitability of every project. 

The Cost of Abrasive Blasting

Calculating the actual cost of your abrasive media requires analysis of the entire project. A comprehensive analysis accounts for all expenses that contribute to the final price per square foot. Key cost factors include:

• Abrasive price and consumption: Combine the purchase price with the total volume of media required to complete the job.
• Labor: Multiply the hourly wages of your blast team by the total time spent on the project, including setup, blasting, and cleanup.
• Cleanup and disposal: Consider the amount of dust generated, the need for containment systems, and the resources for collecting, handling, and disposing of spent abrasive.
• Productivity: Measure the rate at which your team can effectively blast a surface in square feet per hour. Faster blasting results in quicker job turnaround.
• Energy consumption: Include the cost of the fuel or electricity needed to power compressors. More efficient abrasives that require less “on-nozzle” time can lead to substantial energy savings.
• Equipment wear: Factor in the rate at which nozzles, hoses, and other components degrade. An abrasive that is less aggressive on your equipment can be significant, because a more efficient abrasive can extend the life of your equipment.

How Superoxalloy Abrasives Improve the Profitability of Your Blasting Projects

Containment, reusability, and ease of disposal can impact the overall revenue of a blasting project. Superoxalloy abrasives deliver higher ROI through durability, efficency, reusability, and improved productivity.

Lower Media Consumption

Unlike crystalline abrasives like garnet that often shatter on impact, superoxalloy particles transfer maximum energy to the surface before breaking down. They maintain their shape and effectiveness for up to six to 10 cycles, dramatically reducing consumption rates.

For example, when Arrow Marine Services switched from green diamond to 10X Engineered Materials superoxalloy, the company cut its monthly abrasive consumption from 40 tons to 7.5 tons. Their vessel turnaround time dropped from two weeks to five days, doubling throughput.

Productivity and Schedule Compression

Superoxalloy abrasives cut faster and cleaner, reducing the time needed to complete each project. This schedule compression enables teams to complete more jobs, generating more revenue. Timely delivery also favors competitiveness, differentiation, repeat business, and new business.

When the U.S. Navy used superoxalloy abrasives on the USS Texas, they saw a dramatic increase in productive nozzle time and blast speeds. The Navy achieved an 80% reduction in total task costs, saved 61 days of labor, and saw a 70% decrease in abrasive disposal costs.

Containment and Disposal

Superoxalloys produce lower dust levels during blasting and therefore require less total containment. Mineral wool materials are exempt from many shipping and disposal regulations, making them faster, safer, and more cost-effective to handle. In contrast, traditional abrasives such as coal slag generate a significant amount of dust with contaminants that can harm the environment. They have stricter disposal protocols and regulatory requirements. 

Health and Safety

The mineral wool material in superoxalloy abrasives has an IARC monograph from the World Health Organization classifying it as noncarcinogenic. Superoxalloys produce lower dust levels, enabling better visibility for the operator and a lower risk of respiratory issues. If dust is inhaled, the biosoluble particles clear from the lungs within days. A safe abrasive fulfills customer requirements and enhances market competitiveness.

Surface Quality and Coating Performance

The ultimate goal of abrasive blasting is to prepare a surface for the application of a protective coating. The quality of that preparation directly impacts the performance and lifespan of the coating. Superoxalloy abrasives create a clean, uniform profile with minimal particle embedment. The clean, uniform profile enables superior coating adhesion, leading to long-term maintenance cost savings and extended coating life.

In the U.S. Navy trial on the USS Texas, the superoxalloy-blasted surface achieved SSPC-SP5 “white metal” finish. The blast held for 14 days without any flash rust formation, providing a much wider window for coating application. A field demonstration comparing EpiX to aluminum oxide on an epoxy-coated steel surface further highlights this efficiency. Blasting at 124 psi, the results were:

• Superoxalloy: Completed in 55 seconds using 6.06 pounds of media
• Aluminum oxide: Completed in 1 minute and 9 seconds using 8.22 pounds of media

The EpiX abrasive was faster and consumed 26% less abrasive, demonstrating its ability to deliver better results with increased cost savings to maximize profits.

Improve Productivity and Business Performance With 10X Engineered Materials

Faster project completion means more jobs per year, higher revenue, and a stronger competitive edge. The combination of quality, timeliness, and a lower cost structure leads to more repeat business and new opportunities. Superoxalloy abrasives incur a lower cost per square foot because of their high efficiency, lower abrasive consumption per unit area, reusability, and ease of disposal.

Calculate your own superoxalloy ROI, or contact our experts to assess your performance and consumption data.