Sandblasting
Sunday, April 9th, 2006Sandblasting is our main theme. This website is dedicated entirely to provide you the latest information about this industrial process. We will provide you, in future articles, information and reviews about the different techniques you can use when you apply sandblast.
But what is the sandblasting technique ?
Sandblasting is a generic term for the process of smoothing, shaping and cleaning a hard surface by forcing solid particles across that surface at high speeds. You can find effects of the sandblast in the mother nature. It can happens naturally, normally as a result of the particle blown by the wind causing eolian erosion.In nature, sandblasting of exposed rock surfaces in arid environments can create a dark coating called desert varnish.
But, probably you are more interested in the artificial sandblast. This industrial process use compressed air. Although you can consider this process as a modern technique, in fact, sandblasting process was patented by Benjamin Chew Tilghman on October 18, 1870.
Historically, the material used for artificial sandblasting was sand that had been sieved to a uniform size. The silica dust produced in the sandblasting process caused sillicosis after sustained inhalation of dust. Sandblasting may now only be performed in a controlled environment using ventilation, protective clothing and breathing air supply.
There are other materials, especially used for sandblast. These materials have been developed to be used instead of sand; for example, glass beads, metal pellets, and even ground coconut shells have been used for specific applications and produce distinct surface finishes.
Please explore the links you can find in our website to learn more about this technique and about sandblasting suppliers.