Choosing an aluminum oxide blastmedia for powder coating

Using the right abrasive blast media for powder coating is important as it will allow you to save time and money as well as ensure a quality finish. There are several different types of blasting and determining which is best for the job can be a difficult task.

With aluminum oxide blasting an air compressor is used to propel the blast abrasive grain through a nozzle at high velocity onto the surface of your choice. It’s commonly used to remove tough coatings, rust and other forms of corrosion.

What is Powder Coating?

There are many ways to finish and refinish objects. One of the most common techniques is with a powder coat. It is a dry film coating that is used to protect and beautify a variety of different components. It is a fairly recent development and is gaining popularity due to its versatility and durability. Another finishing technique is with a “sandblast”. This is a technique that has been used in various industries for many years for surface finishing and refinishing. This technique involves using compressed air to shoot particles at high velocity against an object.

Sand blasting is often used on metal, plastic, glass, and concrete. It can be done manually or automatically. Manual sandblasting is done by placing the material on some type of table with the surface that needs to be finished facing up and then attaching a gun to the end of a long hose that has some type of nozzle at the end. Automatic sandblasting involves having the compressed air source attached directly to the tool itself which holds onto the object while it is being sandblasted.

Blast Abrasive Media for Removing Powder Coating

There are various different abrasive media available for removing powder coating from surfaces, such as Aluminum oxide, Crystalline quartz and 10Xem’s superoxalloy, but not all of them will work on certain surface types.

The choice of media will depend on surface hardness, surface finish, surface condition, anticipated corrosion resistance of the substrate after the coating is removed, the compatibility of the coating removal media with the coating, and the type of coating removal equipment to be used.

The EpiX and KinetiX line of superoxalloy blast abrasive from 10X Engineered Materials is a new class of advanced abrasive that will not only get rid of the chrome, but also leave a clean substrate, virtually free of embedded particles — unlike alternatives such as garnets, slags, metals and glass — so the next coating can be applied properly.

Currently, KinetiX and EpiX are available from abrasive distributors around the US. If you don’t see a distributor near you, contact 10X and we will work with you to get you what you need. EpiX abrasive, which is best for precision applications such as powder coating and medical applications, is also available to purchase directly from the 10X Engineered Materials website.