Choosing the best aluminum oxide abrasive grit for steel
Aluminum oxide is a popular abrasive blast media that can be used to remove old coatings and corrosion from steel surfaces. This is done through a process called abrasive blasting.
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 the treatment of steel surfaces.
Steel is stronger than aluminum oxide, which lowers the chances of damaging surfaces while blasting. Granted, it’s still important to begin blasting at a low PSI and then increase as needed.
Bags of aluminum oxide can most likely be found at your local hardware store, or online from a specific manufacturer’s site. While aluminum oxide is a classic blast media to use, it doesn’t perform as well as superoxalloy.
If you’re looking for a cost-effective, long-lasting blast media that’s compatible with steel surfaces, then superoxalloy is the best choice.
The Best Blasting for Steel Surfaces
Superoxalloy is a rising star in the world of abrasive blast media. It has all the strengths of other blast media while eliminating many of the weaknesses.
10X Engineered Materials has created a line of superoxalloy abrasives that are strong and durable, and won’t leave embedded particles in your steel surfaces.
The EpiX and KinetiX abrasives are made up of polymorphous particles that perform multiple steps of the blasting process at once, making it possible to remove coatings faster and for less.
Aluminum oxide particles are sharp and angular, making them compatible with only a limited number of jobs. Superoxalloy on the other hand is composed of both angular and rounded particles to name a few, which means it could be used for a variety of purposes.
A job that would usually require three steps with aluminum oxide can now be done in one with superoxalloy.
They are also safe for both you and the environment, with no free silica, no crystalline structures, no heavy metals, and no beryllium. They also resist breakage and can also be reused many times, and are virtually dust-free.
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.