Choosing aluminum oxide blast abrasive for Coatings/Corrosion Removal

When faced with old coatings of paint or corrosion on the surface of your equipment, using abrasive blast media is a great way to remove it. A popular media is aluminum oxide. 

Aluminum oxide blasting makes use of an air compressor to propel blast abrasive grains through a nozzle at high velocity onto your chosen project surface. It has various applications, including corrosion and coatings removal.

Blast media varies on the degree of toughness. Selecting the appropriate one depends on the job.

For removing thick coatings of paint, for example, a rougher, harder blast abrasive is best used, like aluminum oxide. Using a harsh abrasive will eliminate the coating quicker and more effectively, whereas something softer, like corn cob or glass beads, would be best used to remove a thin coating. 

The hardness of the abrasive should also be considered as it may damage the underlying material. Just as rough abrasives are best used on thick coatings, they are also best used on harder surfaces. 

Stronger blast media may warp the surface or leave it textured if the impact is too harsh. Likewise, when blasting on a softer material like aluminum, a less abrasive media isn’t as likely to affect the surface. 

While aluminum oxide is often the go-to choice, a cutting-edge blast media called superoxalloy is even better.

What’s the best abrasive to remove coatings or corrosion? 

The EpiX and KinetiX superoxalloy abrasives from 10X Engineered Materials, however, are a good choice for removing coatings and corrosion. 

They are gentle yet strong abrasives that will remove layers without leaving any embedded particles that may result in rust bloom, making the surface ready to work on. Additionally, they work faster than their alternatives—they’re made up of polymorphous particles which perform multiple functions in one step, cutting down time. 

These superoxalloy abrasives will also remove rust 30 to 60 percent faster than other abrasives—blasters even say it works better than garnet, slags, glass beads, and steel grit when removing rust. 

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.