Safe Abrasive Blasting With Patented and Biosoluble Superoxalloy

They deserve to know that the abrasive dust in their workspace won’t cause long-term lung damage. That’s why we are proud to offer 10X superoxalloy abrasives, the most noncarcinogenic and environmentally safe blast media available. You’ll see below that the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies our material in the same category as a cup of coffee in the list of hundreds of materials and products they’ve reviewed. Produced from the by-product of mineral wool insulation manufacturing, 10X superoxalloy abrasives are, by design, formulated and manufactured to be a safe blasting abrasive. As you will see, it is the safest choice you can make in high-performance abrasives. Using 10X abrasives preserves the environment and saves lives. You can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that no other blasting abrasive has achieved the same high level of safety validation for people, air, water, and wildlife. When it comes to safe blasting abrasives, 10X stands apart.

The Experts’ Approach to Assessing Dust Toxicity: The 3 D’s 

As a trusted partner to the blasting community, we believe it’s crucial for you to understand how experts evaluate the toxicity of material dusts. This knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions about the abrasives you use in your blasting operations. The three key factors that influence lung toxicity are Dose, Dimension, and Duration. 

Dose: How Much Exposure Could Workers Face? 

When it comes to 10X superoxalloy abrasives, you can rest assured that your workers’ exposure to dust is minimized. Our abrasive particles are produced in the mineral wool manufacturing process by rapidly cooling a molten mineral melt, which toughens the particles and gives them high impact strength. The particles are strong and durable, which provides higher working speed, lower abrasive consumption, and a list of other new benefits that can transform the productivity and profitability of your operation. High impact strength also means that fewer particles shatter into dust during blasting. In fact, the dust levels generated by our noncarcinogenic blasting media are significantly lower than what you are used to seeing with traditional nonmetallic abrasives. Most importantly, mineral wool dust has been studied in human and animal exposure studies over decades at extreme exposure levels – more than six times higher than OSHA limits – and shown not to cause harm.

Dimension: How Do Particle Size and Shape Affect Toxicity? 

Understanding particle dimension is crucial when selecting a safe abrasive blasting material. Let’s take a closer look at how our lungs protect themselves. The upper respiratory tract filters out most particles, allowing only the smallest ones (less than 10 microns) to reach the deep gas exchange regions of our lungs. These tiny particles are primarily removed by macrophage cells that engulf the dust particles and transport them out of our bodies through various pathways. Chronic effects and cancer occur when these protective cells are damaged by dust particles. Interestingly, long and thin particles like insulation fibers are more damaging to macrophage cells than regular particles. However, the good news is that direct exposure studies of mineral wool dust, which is physically and chemically identical to 10X superoxalloy abrasive dust, showed that neither small fibers nor tiny particles were toxic. Both are dissolved and rapidly removed, with dust particles like those from blasting being cleared much more quickly than insulation fibers.

Duration: How Long Do the Dust Particles Stay in the Lungs? 

The duration of dust particles in the lungs is a critical factor in determining toxicity. When dust particles cannot be removed by macrophage cells and other lung defense mechanisms, they remain in the lungs and can initiate chronic effects, lung fibrosis, and possibly cancer. Crystalline silica and asbestos are examples of durable, biopersistent dust particles known to be human carcinogens. They kill our macrophage cells and remain in the lungs for extended periods, sometimes even decades after exposure, as observed in human autopsies. In contrast, dust particles from mineral wool insulation and 10X superoxalloy abrasives have been proven not to damage our macrophage cells. In fact, they are specifically formulated by mineral wool manufacturers to be biosoluble, which means they dissolve both inside macrophage cells and in surrounding lung fluids, allowing for rapid clearance without causing harm. 

Safety of 10X Superoxalloy Abrasives for People 

10X Superoxalloy: The Only Abrasive Verified Safe by Global Health Authorities 

When it comes to the safety of your workers, you shouldn’t have to compromise. What sets 10X apart from all other abrasives worldwide is that our particles are made of mineral wool material, which has undergone rigorous scrutiny through exposure studies in living humans and animals over several decades. It is the only abrasive material whose dust was shown not to cause lung diseases or cancer, even under conditions of extreme exposure, based on hundreds of toxicological studies. These published facts and the official findings of global toxicological authorities prove that our abrasives stand alone as the safest choice, especially in blasting operations. While similar exposure testing of other abrasives has been limited, the available data indicates that most, if not all of them, pose a high risk to human health when their dusts are inhaled. 

IARC’s Unanimous Conclusion: Mineral Wool Not Classifiable as Carcinogenic 

The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) conducted a comprehensive review of the massive body of studies on mineral wool material in 2002. After analyzing over fifty years of gold-standard human, animal, and laboratory toxicological studies, the IARC panel of experts unanimously concluded in their 2002 Monograph (Volume 81) that: 

• Lack of evidence of excess illness or mortality in decades of human epidemiological studies following 26,000 exposed workers in the U.S. and Europe starting in the 1930s. 

• Lack of evidence of lung damage, cancer, or decreased lifespan in multiple species of animals repeatedly exposed to high respirable dust concentrations over 80% of their lives (rats were exposed to dust for 6 hours per day, 5 days per week, for two years). 

• Mineral wool material is biosoluble in the lungs and is rapidly cleared like all other nontoxic dusts, with no long-term health effects, due to its chemical composition. 
• Mineral wool was categorized as not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans (Group 3). 

These toxicological exposure studies and the determinations of agencies like IARC, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), and the U.S. National Toxicology Program hold more weight in the world of regulatory toxicology than many people understand. Human epidemiological and animal exposure studies provide the scientific basis for determining whether a material is toxic. This large body of studies and the ultimate IARC determination removed mineral wool material from all lists of possible human carcinogens worldwide. 

10X Superoxalloy: Unmatched Safety Validation 

No other blasting abrasive has been tested extensively enough to support an IARC determination. If exposure to mineral wool dust caused lung damage, diseases, or cancer, the effects would have surfaced at some point in the massive body of exposure studies. The IARC working group would not have been able to unanimously conclude that the material is not classifiable as carcinogenic to humans.

IARC categorizes the hundreds of chemicals, materials, and working environments it has reviewed into five groups based on the probability that they cause cancer. As shown in the infographic below, mineral wool was placed in Category 3, currently the safest grouping, along with coffee and hair coloring products. Remarkably, it has been deemed less likely to cause cancer than aloe vera, pickled vegetables, and working as a barber. 

Because it is such a safe and high-performing material, mineral wool is just about everywhere you look. It has been safely manufactured, installed, used, and discarded for over 100 years all over the world. It is used as thermal and sound dampening insulation and fireproofing in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. It is used in the construction of commercial and military ships and submarines. The insulation you see around pipes and vessels in industrial processes is often mineral wool. Most drop or paneled ceiling tiles are made using mineral wool. It is even widely used as a growing medium for hydroponic vegetables that we consume with our families at the dinner table.

Mineral wool is categorized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Category 3, which designates materials and agents least likely to cause cancer of the hundreds that have been reviewed. This graphic was adapted and updated from GMO Answers.

Safety of 10X Superoxalloy Abrasives for the Environment 

Protecting Our Planet with Every Blast 

At 10X Engineered Materials, we believe that abrasive media safety extends beyond our workers and customers. We are committed to ensuring that our products are not only safe for people but also for the environment. Superoxalloy abrasives have been subjected to rigorous environmental testing to verify their eco-friendly properties. You can blast with peace of mind, knowing that you are making a choice that is good for both the health of your team and the sustainability of the planet.

Comprehensive Environmental Testing 

Tests using certified third-party laboratories confirm that 10X superoxalloy abrasives meet and exceed environmental regulations and standards. They are certified and approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), and the Department of Defense under specification MIL-PRF-22262C. Here’s how our abrasives stack up:

• Air: 10X abrasives are approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), one of the most stringent air quality regulatory bodies in the United States. This approval demonstrates that our product meets the highest standards for air quality and emissions. 

• Water: Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Protocol (TCLP) testing shows that 10X superoxalloy abrasives are clean and compliant with EPA regulations. You can trust that our product will not harm waterways or aquatic life when used properly. 

• Wildlife: 10X superoxalloy abrasives have passed Washington state environmental testing specification, publication # 80-12. In a test conducted by Rainier Environmental in 2021, there were zero fish fatalities at 10 ppm and 100 ppm of superoxalloy abrasive in the water. Anything less than 50% fatalities would have passed, so this testing further demonstrates the lack of toxicity and minimal impact of our products on people and wildlife. 
• Disposal: 10X superoxalloy abrasives are not regulated for disposal and are not subject to regulation as a hazardous material for shipping. Disposal should be carried out in accordance with applicable regional, national, and local laws and regulations. Our product’s non-hazardous nature simplifies disposal and reduces the environmental impact of your blasting operations. 

Environmental Sustainability: A Core 10X Value 

At 10X Engineered Materials, environmental sustainability is not just a buzzword; it’s a core value that drives our innovation and production processes. 10X superoxalloy abrasives are made from 100% recycled mineral wool insulation manufacturing byproducts. This valuable mineral material might otherwise have been destined for landfills. By repurposing and transforming it into our high-performance and safe blasting media, we are actively reducing waste and minimizing the environmental footprint of blasting operations all around the world. 

Since entering the market, 10X Engineered Materials has recycled tens of thousands of tons of mineral wool material in our sustainable, clean-tech manufacturing facility. By choosing 10X superoxalloy abrasives, you are not only ensuring the safety of your workers but also contributing to a more sustainable future for our planet. 

The Alarming Truth: What Exposure Tests Reveal About Other Abrasives 

Limited Testing, Disturbing Results 

All of us who care about worker safety would naturally wonder whether there has been any controlled toxicological testing of other abrasive materials. The answer is yes, but nowhere near extensive enough to support an IARC Monograph. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published two animal exposure studies of abrasives in 2001 and 2002. These studies involved a single instillation of the respirable dusts of ten abrasive materials into the lungs of groups of six rats per abrasive. The animals were euthanized and examined after four weeks of recovery. The findings were concerning and the blasting industry deserves to know the truth. 

Evidence of Permanent Lung Damage in Just Four Weeks 

The figure below shows ratios for lung cell damage (blue bars) and lung fibrosis (orange bars) compared to unexposed animals at only four weeks after a single exposure in the NIOSH studies. The authors of these studies concluded: “The persistent pulmonary inflammation and damage caused by the abrasive blasting substitutes in Groups 2 and 3 suggest that they are not nontoxic alternatives to blasting sand.” A follow-up inhalation exposure study published by the U.S. National Toxicology Program in 2020 confirmed these results, particularly in rats exposed to coal slag and garnet dusts. 

Data taken from: 1) Hubbs et al, Toxicological Sciences, Vol 61, pp 135-143 (2001), and 2) Porter et al, J Toxicology & Environmental Health, Part A, 65, pp 1121-1140 (2002). 

Trace Amounts of Hazardous Substances, Significant Health Risks 

What’s even more alarming is that all the abrasives in the chart above contain only trace quantities of hazardous substances such as arsenic, beryllium, or lead. Yet, eight out of the ten abrasives in the study caused evidence of permanent lung damage within a month of a single exposure. This is the kind of testing that matters. This is how the toxicity of materials is established and confirmed by regulatory authorities. If we truly care about the health and safety of blasters and other workers exposed to abrasive dust, these results should cause deep concern for anyone using coal slag, olivine, crushed glass, staurolite, garnet, copper slag, or nickel slag. They all caused irreversible harm similar to or worse than silica sand, which is known to cause lung silicosis because it contains high quantities of quartz, one of the three hazardous crystalline forms of silica. 

Many customers ask us, “Is silica free abrasive safe?” Some of the abrasives evaluated in the NIOSH studies contain low-to-medium levels of the dangerous crystalline forms of silicon dioxide, while others claim to be silica free. The results provide a firm answer. Being low-free-silica or silica free does not guarantee that the material is a safe blasting abrasive.

What this Means for You: Unmatched Safety, Performance, and Peace of Mind

10X Superoxalloy: The Only Clear Choice for Safety 

Life is precious. Nothing is more important than your safety. Blasters and their employers can take great comfort that the hazards they’re most worried about have been tested directly in living subjects. The results have been reviewed and unanimously confirmed by the World Health Organization and many other authoritative bodies around the world. Every manufacturer in the world took these learnings to heart and now formulates their mineral wool to be biosoluble in the lungs. If you happen to be exposed to superoxalloy dust, you can rest assured that your lungs can handle it the same way that they handle the millions of dust particles that we inhale in each of the 17,000+ breaths we take every day. No other abrasive can verifiably claim both proven safety and next-generation performance combined. If you haven’t tried our products yet, we invite you to join us in embracing the future of safe, sustainable, and high-performance abrasives. Your workers’ health and well-being depend on it. Blasters deserve better, and 10X superoxalloy abrasives are the only products backed by globally acknowledged exposure tests confirming their safety. If you find yourself asking “What media is safe for sandblasting?”, know that superoxalloy is the answer.

Take the First Step: Contact Us Today 

Whether you prefer to call, email, or fill out our online contact form, we’ll respond promptly and work with you to develop a customized solution that meets your unique needs and goals. If you want to get started right away, you can explore our range of noncarcinogenic abrasive products and order from our online store today. Either way, don’t wait to prioritize the safety and well-being of your workers. Don’t settle for abrasives that put your team at risk. Choose 10X superoxalloy abrasives and join the movement towards safer, more sustainable blasting. Let’s revolutionize the industry together. 

If you’re ready to take the first step towards a safer, more efficient blasting operation, we invite you to contact us today. Our team of experts is standing by to answer your questions, provide personalized recommendations, and help you start your journey with 10X superoxalloy abrasives, the world’s safest high-performance blasting abrasives.