Choosing the Best Aluminum Oxide Blasting Abrasive for Rust

Over time, sunlight and moisture can lead to your metal surfaces becoming rusted which can have a negative effect on both appearance and longevity.

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’s a great way to remove rust and provide your metal surfaces with a new profile ready to be refinished or used as is.

Aluminum oxide has a lower hardness than metal, which lowers the chances of particles peening the surface. To remove thin layers of rust, go for finer grit sizes. In contrast, low grit sizes means the particles are more coarse, which is effective at removing tougher corrosion. 

There are a lot of factors to consider when working with aluminum oxide, but fortunately there’s an all-purpose blast media that will take care of your rust problems – superoxalloy.

The Best Blast Media for Rust

Superoxalloy is a cutting edge abrasive media to use. Composed of both angular and rounded particles, it can take on any blasting project.

The EpiX and KinetiX superoxalloy blast abrasives from 10X Engineered Materials are clean abrasives that will not only efficiently remove the rust, but also leave a clean surface, free of embedded particles which delays rust bloom of the blasted surface. 

They are made up of tempered non-crystalline mineral oxide particles that resist breakage under high-speed mechanical impact and can be used multiple times, saving you money on your sandblasting projects. 

Unlike many alternative media, these superoxalloy abrasives can remove heavy rust at speeds from 30 to 60 percent faster than other abrasives, and they can do it in one step.

Additionally, superoxalloy abrasives are safer than many alternatives with no free silica, no heavy metals, no crystalline structures, and no beryllium.

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.