Choosing the Best Garnet Blasting Grit for Airplane Parts

Giving airplane parts a new surface profile is best done by using abrasive blasting. 

Garnet sandblasting 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.

For aviation purposes, many blasters recommend using an abrasive on the softer side like crushed walnut shells, corn cobs, or plastic beads. However,  a new class of abrasives – superoxalloy – can offer significant advantages over traditional blast abrasives. It will be discussed at the end of this article. 

While garnet seems like a great choice for your next project, there are some downsides that should be considered. Compared to superoxalloy abrasives (discussed further down), garnet wains in comparison in regard to project efficiency. 

In a time test, garnet took 60% longer to remove a layer of epoxy when compared to superoxalloy abrasives. Depending on the project, time is money. The best route is superoxalloy, and 10X Engineered Materials provides exactly that.

The Best Blast Media for Airplane Parts

10X Engineered Materials has created a line of superoxalloy abrasives that are strong and durable, and won’t leave embedded particles in the surface. 

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.

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.