Can Garnet Abrasive Blast Away Rust?

Is garnet abrasive effective at removing rust?

Rust removal and surface preparation is a topic that we come across a lot at 10X Engineered Materials. Whether you are working with sandblasters or a blast cabinet, garnet blast abrasive may or may not be the right choice for your next project. Finding the right blast abrasive for your project can be a daunting task but we aim to make it easier. 

Surface preparation and rust removal

Media blasting can generally strip rust or paint without damaging the base material and the experts at 10X understand that most  people are looking to create a clean, finished, ready-to-coat surface in one step. Clean surface preparation is just one of the many reasons we offer 10X superoxalloy abrasives.

Surface preparation and rust bloom

Rust bloom, also known as “flash rust,” can form on a steel surface within hours if salts or iron residuals are present to initiate the corrosion reaction of iron and oxygen. Rust bloom can increase the time, cost, and complexity of blasting and painting operations while decreasing the quality and useful life of coatings. In a comparison trial, metal sheets were cleaned with copper slag, garnet, and a superoxalloy abrasive. After 24 hrs, rust bloom was already visible on the sheets cleaned by both copper slag and garnet. At the 48-hr mark, rust bloom was pronounced on both sheets. However, the metal cleaned using the superoxalloy abrasive displayed no visible rust even after 48 hrs. Similarly, when a ship hull was cleaned to a SSPC-SP6 finish and left uncoated in a humid area for three weeks, the hull remianed clean and ready to coat.

Rust removal project cost

Whether your project is large or small the EpiX and KinetiX lines of superoxalloy abrasive blast media from 10X Engineered Materials could provide you with significant cost savings on a per square foot basis. 10X superoxalloy abrasives are less dense than other abrasives like garnet, aluminum oxide, staurolite or silicon carbide allowing you to use a smaller amount of abrasive for your next project translating to overall savings. 

Blast media to to consider for your next rust removal project

The EpiX and KinetiX lines of superoxalloy abrasive blast media from 10X Engineered Materials have been shown to be cost effective and “clean” in many blasting applications including rust removal. Our superoxalloy products are proven to reduce rust bloom and provide you with the cleanest surface possible for your project. 10X Engineered Materials products are perfect for many projects including rust removal, powder coating and medical applications. 

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.