Abrasive Blasting: What Is It, and What Are Its Benefits?

Abrasive blasting—more commonly just called sandblasting in Colorado—is the process of using an abrasive substance (often sand) to quickly and thoroughly strip a surface clean of debris. Using a high-pressure blaster, the abrasive is shot in a continuous, concentrated mass. This effectively creates friction at a microscopic level, which acts to remove anything that may be coating a surface.

Often, sandblasting is used on metal surfaces, since metal is strong enough to stand up to most abrasive blasting. Things like poly-coatings, rust, adhesives and other substances aren’t, however, leaving them to be stripped away quickly. The result is a clean surface.

Abrasive blasting is particularly useful in a number of scenarios and has a strong range of benefits that make it a preferred choice for cleanup jobs and surface preparation—specifically when it comes to oilfield equipment and storage tanks. It can strip away filth and grime to reveal a clean surface, without doing any damage to the underlying material. In this way, sandblasting offers the perfect marriage of precision, thoroughness and convenience.

Abrasive blasting benefits

Far and away the biggest benefit of abrasive blasting is the inert nature of the abrasive. Instead of using high-grade chemical cleaners that have potential reactivity, cleaning crews can use sandblasting to achieve the same results. Sand, however, isn’t going to create any chemical reactions, making it safe to use in situations where volatility is a concern.

In addition to being nonvolatile, abrasive blasting is also environmentally friendly. No greenhouse gases are given off and most times, the abrasive media itself is eco-friendly. Sand quartz and other popular blasting media are naturally occurring!

It’s also important not to forget about the thoroughness of the abrasive blasting process. Cleaning nooks and crannies inside of a steel holding tank is much easier at the end of a high-pressure blaster, as opposed to a scrub brush or scraper. It also expedites work thanks to its efficient stripping abilities, ensuring equipment is cleaner, faster.

A versatile solution

Sandblasting in Colorado is an extremely versatile solution to surface prep and cleaning demands. It’s often a one-size-fits-all solution to equipment cleaning and—thanks to its many benefits—it’s also a cost-effective one. Oilfield companies, refineries, transport and storage operations, and more can all leverage the benefits of abrasive blasting to ensure a cleaner, safer working environment.

Where abrasive blasting is concerned, it’s also important to remember the benefits that come along with working with a professional. Though it’s convenient and efficient, sandblasting has the potential to do just as much harm as good if approached inappropriately. Using the wrong pressure or an improper abrasive or being inattentive during the process can all lead to potential damage to equipment or danger to the operator.

To see the many benefits of abrasive blasting for yourself, performed by a highly-skilled operator, consult with DJC Enterprises Inc. today. From oil rigs to holding tanks and a wide range of other equipment and metal objects, we’re your trusted sandblasting professionals. We’ll show you the true power of abrasive blasting.

Categorised in: Sandblasting

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