What Is the Best Blast Abrasive for Polishing?

​Choosing the correct abrasive to use for a polishing project can be challenging because there are so many options. To help narrow it down, it’s important to consider the reason for blasting. 

When removing thick coats of paint, for example, rough abrasives like aluminum oxide are probably the better option; when working to remove a thin layer of coating or corrosion on a soft surface, a more gentle abrasive like corn cob should be used. 

However, superoxalloy abrasives — an entirely new class of abrasives — can offer significant advantages over abrasives you may have used in the past. Keep reading to learn why superoxalloy abrasives are the best choice for sandblast polishing. 

Types of Abrasives for Polishing

When blasted onto a softer metal like aluminum, tougher abrasives like aluminum oxide or garnet will often result in a textured or over-profiled surface. This can be difficult to coat evenly, and the blast media often leaves particles embedded that may cause Abrasive-Induced-Corrosion (AIC), commonly called rust bloom. 

When blasting to polish a surface, what seems to be the most widely used form of abrasive media is glass beads. Due to their softer nature, these beads are less effective at removing thick coatings, but will leave a surface smooth and shiny with little to no embedded particles.

Why Superoxalloys Are the Best Blasting Media

However, there is another alternative — superoxalloys, which are specifically formulated for optimal performance. This type of abrasive will polish the surface just as well as these other blast media and comes with fewer downsides. 

Superoxalloys are an engineered alloy of oxide materials that were created to resist breakage under mechanical stress. They can be reused multiple times and at varying PSI for a variety of different projects and results. 

They work faster than other abrasives because they are tempered and made up of tough polymorphous particles. Because of their stronger particle toughness, they leave a smooth profile and don’t easily break leaving little to no embedded particles behind. However, they’re much stronger than glass beads. 

Superoxalloy abrasives are also safer than the alternatives because they are biosoluble and low dusting. 

Choose Superoxalloy Abrasives From 10X Engineered Materials

10X Engineered Materials has created a line of superoxalloy abrasives that will get the polishing done just as well — if not quicker — than alternatives like glass beads. The EpiX abrasives are ultra strong and will leave a clean substrate, virtually free of embedded particles, smooth and polished. Most of our customers who are blasting to polish use our EpiX-MP at lower blasting pressures. 

To find out more, call us at 260-253-2278 or fill out our online form. You can find our lines of superoxalloy abrasive at U.S. distributors or order EpiX from our website.