Garnet blasting for airplanes

We know that airplanes are very expensive, and that it can be hard for airlines to keep up with the ongoing costs of maintaining them. One way to keep airplanes looking and performing their best is to keep all surfaces and parts free of contaminates and properly finished. This is where garnet blasting comes into play. Garnet blasting is a process in which an abrasive material is used to clean the surfaces of airplanes during maintenance periods. It’s important that this is done correctly because if not, your airplane could have serious structural damage caused by improper use of the materials which could eventually lead to equipment failure.

Garnet blasting is a good option for airplanes because  it can remove contaminants and achieve a finish that is smoother than a lot of different types of blast media. But garnet blast abrasive can have some drawbacks such as the possibility of damaging the surface if it is not used correctly.

The drawbacks of garnet for airplanes

There are also some other considerations to take into account when looking at garnet blasting for airplanes, such as safety and environmental impact. For example, this process can potentially cause a lot dust in an area which could be dangerous for those around it or even environmentally unfriendly. A good option to consider is a superoxalloy.

What are superoxalloys?

Superoxalloys are engineered alloys of oxide minerals created through highly controlled formulation and tempering (high heat + rapid cooling). The process creates non-crystalline (amorphous) particles that resist breakage under stress of high-speed mechanical impact.

Why superoxalloys?

There are many benefits of using superoxalloys on your airplane, some of the more common are:

Safety – Superoxalloy abrasives have a clean health and safety profile for workers and the environment.

Strength – Unlike crystalline particles (like those in slags, garnet and aluminum oxide), amorphous particles do not have any fracture planes. Amorphous particles are equally strong in all directions and resist breakage up to 120 PSI or higher.

Environmental impact – Superoxalloy abrasives create a low-dust work environment leaving you with higher visibility and easier cleanup with less impact to the surrounding area.

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.