Aerospace Sandblasting

Aerospace is among the many industries that rely on blasting for aircraft surface preparation. Aviation maintenance crews require modern equipment and effective blasting media to create a surface with maximum coating adhesion. Choosing a high-performance abrasive that can withstand breakage at high speeds is critical for minimizing labor costs and maximizing quality.

High-quality blasting media also plays an essential role in aircraft restoration. Operators use abrasives to remove existing coatings, stripping a surface to the bare metal to ensure a smooth, even area for the new coating. A superior finish results in significant cost savings because it lasts longer and protects against corrosion and other potentially damaging contaminants.

Aerospace Sandblasting Media From 10X Engineered Materials

Selecting the most efficient abrasive for an aerospace blasting project can be challenging. Applications using coarse materials like aluminum oxide can leave behind high levels of embedment and uneven finishes, while finer materials like EpiX produce a high-quality finish with little to no particle embedment.

Our superoxalloy abrasives are a scientifically engineered compound of oxide materials produced through a high-heat, rapid-cooling tempering process. The primary component of our abrasives is 100% recycled byproduct from the mineral wool manufacturing process that results in non-crystalline, tempered abrasive blasting particles. These properties enable the abrasive to resist the breakage that similar products experience when applied at high blasting pressures.

Less breakage means minimal particle embedment on an aircraft’s surface, resulting in a smoother, cleaner finish. The non-crystalline structure allows the blasting media to work at full strength in all directions, completing multiple tasks in one pass while producing less dust or waste. 

10X Abrasive Molecular Structure

The amorphous nature of superoxalloy particles arranges atoms randomly which makes the particles equally strong in all directions. They resist breaking no matter where on the particle force is applied. Many other abrasives are semi-crystalline in nature. They contain regions of highly ordered patterns at an atomic scale. Planes of weakness on the edges of these regions make semi-crystalline particles prone to break when they strike a surface.

Benefits of Choosing 10X Engineered Materials for Aircraft Sandblasting Media

10X Engineered Materials offers various superoxalloy abrasives ideal for preparing new aircraft surfaces or restoring aviation ground service equipment. Our innovative products provide significantly more benefits than traditional blasting media, including:

• Exceptional surface quality: Our abrasives stand above the competition because of their unique geometry, particle composition, and molecular structure. No other abrasive media produces the surface quality blasters receive with our superoxalloy particles. The unique geometry of each particle and the particle toughness of superoxalloys prevent embedment to create a clean, high-quality surface. 
• Environmental and safety advantages: 10X’s superoxally abrasives are the only abrasive material in the world with an IARC monograph concluding that it is biosoluble in the lungs and is not classifiable as carcinogenic to humans. No regulating body in the world considers it a possible human carcinogen. Our superoxalloy blasting media produces far less dust than conventional abrasives, significantly reducing worker exposure to inhalable particles. Minimal dust also means operators have a clearer view when blasting, resulting in increased efficiency and higher-quality surfaces. The sustainability of our recycled mineral wool also makes our abrasives more eco-friendly.
• Ultra-low consumption: Because each superoxalloy particle produces more surface work, operators require less blasting material for a project. Less fracturing and breakage also mean operators can reuse our abrasives for multiple projects, resulting in significant savings in material costs. Minimized consumption also creates less waste, resulting in decreased cleanup times and significant labor savings.
• Increased blasting speeds: Our superoxalloys work faster than other abrasives that fracture because they produce a higher work rate. Operators can blast our abrasives at speeds up to 150 pounds per square inch (PSI) without breakage — a blasting pressure much higher than other products can handle. More importantly, our abrasives often complete a blasting task in a single pass, eliminating the need for manual scraping or burning.

Contact Us to Learn More About Our Aerospace Sandblasting Media

If you’re looking for an advanced abrasive solution that increases efficiency, performance and workplace safety for military blasting applications, superoxalloys from 10X Engineered Materials are a perfect solution. Various military operations — including the United States Navy — rely on our abrasive products for preparing the surfaces of seagoing vessels while maximizing safety and efficiency. Contact us online or call 260-253-2278 with questions or to request additional product information.