Railcar Sandblasting

Railroad cars transport hazardous and non-hazardous materials that can leak or spill, leading to potential injury and property damage if not appropriately addressed. As a result, abrasive blasting is critical for railcar maintenance, ensuring cars stay clean and free from harmful corrosion between shipments. Railway operations also require abrasives to prepare railcars for painting or coating applications.

High-quality abrasives reduce blasting times and require less labor than low-quality options. These blasting solutions also help ensure superior adhesion for the new paint or coating and boost an operation’s bottom line.

Railcar Blasting Media From 10X Engineered Materials

10X Engineered Materials develops and produces one of the most technologically advanced blasting media the industry has ever seen for railcars. Unlike other coarse materials that can cause inconsistent and poor surface finishes, our innovative superoxalloys deliver increased surface quality. These abrasives work well for wet or dry blasting applications for coating and/or corrosion removal and surface preparation.

Our abrasive media for railcars delivers cleaner, higher-quality finishes than traditional materials. Using the byproducts of the mineral wool insulation manufacturing process, we create superoxalloy abrasives that are amorphous and tempered, which enables them to transfer energy to the surface at a higher efficiency than conventional abrasives. These qualities result in minimal fracturing and breakage, which allow our superoxalloys to perform at higher pressures, unlocking the ability for blasters to operate at faster production speeds, all while generating less dust. 

Railcar Field Demonstration

Benefits of Choosing 10X Engineered Materials for Railcar Abrasive Blasting

Superoxalloys from 10X Engineered Materials come in various grit sizes to meet the needs of your unique railcar blasting application. Our products deliver many more benefits than traditional blasting abrasives, including:

• Environmental and safety benefits: Our abrasives, made from mineral wool, are the only abrasive material in the world with an IARC Monograph concluding that they are bio-soluble in the lungs and not classifiable as carcinogenic to humans. No regulating body in the world considers it a possible human carcinogen. Want to learn more? Promote a cleaner environment and a safer workplace for your employees. Superoxalloy blasting abrasives produce less dust, providing workers with a better view while minimizing exposure to inhalable particles. Because our products are 100% recycled, they are also more sustainable than other non-recyclable abrasives.
• Exceptional surface quality: Our railcar sandblasting media produces a cleaner, smoother surface area for coating adhesion that benefits from delayed rust bloom and lower embedment. Due to their innovative molecular composition and patented geometry, our abrasives deliver unparalleled quality. Each shape performs a different task on a surface to provide a unique finish that no other abrasive product can duplicate.
• Increased efficiency: Equipment operators can blast our superoxalloys at up to 150 PSI while resisting particle fracturing. This higher particle strength and resistance to breakage result in blasting at significantly faster rates than conventional railcar sandblasting materials with weaker particles. Higher pressures mean workers can perform paint removal and surface prep tasks faster while eliminating the need for burning, scraping or chemically removing surface coatings and corrosion.
• Ultra-low consumption: Because of their exceptional strength and breakage resistance, operators can reuse our superoxalloys many times, leading to considerable savings in material costs. In addition, railway blasting projects will require less material since each particle delivers higher rates of surface work. Lower material consumption also means decreased cleanup times and fewer pot refills.

Railcar Sandblasting Case Study

A manufacturer and refurbisher with one of the largest fleets of railcars in North America sought ways to improve efficiency, surface quality, and overall refurbishment cost per railcar. Learn how 10X media helped more than double the number of completed railcars which helped the manufacturer make the switch to 10X media.

Trust 10X Engineered Materials for Your Railcar Surface Preparation Needs

If your operation needs an efficient, high-quality sandblasting abrasive for railcars, superoxalloys from 10X Engineered Materials are the perfect solution. Our professionals can evaluate your project requirements and current blasting setup to make specific recommendations, allowing you to choose the best-suited product for your needs. Call us at 260-253-2278 with questions, or find a distributor near you today to make a purchase.