Пескоструйная и абразивоструйная очистка

There are a number of ways to prepare and clean metal surfaces. Two terms that often recur are sandblasting and abrasive blasting. Both are well-known preparation methods that are widely used or have been used in the past. This article explains how each works, why sand was replaced, how the two terms differ today, and where grit-free power tools fit in.

What is sandblasting?

Sandblasting has traditionally been one of the most widely used and well-known methods of surface preparation. It has been used on various types of surfaces since the late 19th century and, because of its effectiveness, was soon adopted across many industries and applications.

Sandblasting is based on two components: sand and compressed air. The sand is propelled at high velocity against the surface, quickly and thoroughly removing mill scale, rust, dirt and coatings. It was soon discovered that sandblasting did more than clean: the force with which the grains strike the surface also leaves small impressions in the material. This roughness, the anchor profile, gives a new coating a surface to grip.

What are the dangers of sandblasting?

Because it worked so well, sandblasting became the standard method for preparing and cleaning surfaces. Over the years, however, its dangers became clear, mainly the health risks. Quartz sand consists largely of crystalline silica. Blasting fractures the grains into fine respirable dust, and when this dust is inhaled it accumulates in the lungs and can cause silicosis, an irreversible and potentially fatal lung disease. Respirable crystalline silica is also classified as a cause of lung cancer.

These risks led to restrictions. The use of crystalline silica for blast cleaning was prohibited in Great Britain in 1950, and other European countries followed in 1966. In 1974, NIOSH recommended that silica sand, or other materials containing more than 1% free silica, be prohibited as an abrasive blasting material in the US. Today, exposure to respirable crystalline silica is strictly limited: OSHA sets a permissible exposure limit of 50 µg/m³ (8-hour TWA), and EU Directive 2017/2398 sets a binding limit of 0.1 mg/m³.

Sandblasting vs. abrasive blasting: what is the difference?

As sand was restricted, the blasting industry looked for substitute abrasives. Materials such as steel grit and shot, mineral and metal slags (for example copper slag), garnet, corundum, glass beads and plastic media proved effective. Blasting with these materials is called abrasive blasting. As with traditional sandblasting, the abrasive is propelled against the surface, by compressed air through a blast nozzle or by a centrifugal wheel, and the impact creates an anchor profile. The 10 types of abrasive blasting compares the main variants.

Strictly speaking, sandblasting is one type of abrasive blasting. In practice the two terms are used interchangeably, and “sandblasting” has become a synonym for abrasive blasting in general. When the term is used today, it usually refers to blasting with grit, slag, plastic or another alternative medium rather than silica sand.

Abrasive blasting vs. MontiPower® power tools

Moving away from silica sand reduced the silica hazard, but it did not make blasting risk-free. Substitute media and the coatings being removed can still produce hazardous dust (old coatings may contain lead or chromates, and some media contain silica or heavy metals), and NIOSH noted that the health effects of many substitutes had not been comprehensively studied. Abrasive blasting also needs a compressor, blast pot, containment and a waste route. Used incorrectly, it can be too aggressive for thin or sensitive substrates. For these reasons it is usually carried out by a specialist blasting contractor, which makes small jobs relatively expensive and dependent on an external party.

MontiPower’s Bristle Blaster® and MBX® address several of these drawbacks. These hand-held tools for surface preparation, available with electric, cordless and pneumatic drives, use no loose abrasive. The specially designed, forward-curved bristle tips of the Bristle Blaster® strike the steel and rebound, removing corrosion and coatings and creating an anchor profile in one step. In documented tests on standard steel, this gives cleanliness comparable to Sa 2½ / SSPC-SP 10 and a 65–85 µm Rz profile; results vary with steel grade, rust grade, belt and technique. The MBX® does a similar cleaning job on car body panels and thinner materials, where it removes rust, paint and underseal without heat or warping.

Grit-free does not mean dust-free: the rust and coating removed still become particles, so extraction and respiratory protection remain necessary. And on large, open areas of new steel, abrasive blasting is usually still faster. Where bristle blasting pays off is spot repairs, weld seams, field joints and live sites where a blast set-up is impractical. See the alternative to sandblasting.

Frequently asked questions

Is sandblasting the same as abrasive blasting?

Sandblasting is one type of abrasive blasting, using sand as the media. Abrasive blasting covers all blasting media, including steel grit, slags, garnet, glass and plastic. In everyday use the two terms are interchangeable, and “sandblasting” usually means blasting with a non-sand abrasive.

Is sandblasting with silica sand banned?

It depends on the country. Great Britain prohibited crystalline silica for blast cleaning in 1950 and other European countries followed in 1966. In the US, NIOSH recommended a prohibition in 1974; there is no general federal ban, but OSHA limits respirable crystalline silica exposure to 50 µg/m³ as an 8-hour average.

Is abrasive blasting safe once sand is replaced?

Safer for silica, but not hazard-free. Substitute media and the removed coatings can still create harmful dust, especially where old paint contains lead or chromates. Blasting needs containment, respiratory protection, noise control and waste handling, set by the site risk assessment and local regulations.

Can I prepare steel without blasting?

Yes, if the coating specification allows it. Impact power tools such as the Bristle Blaster® clean and profile steel in one step without loose abrasive, with documented cleanliness comparable to Sa 2½. Conventional wire brushes and grinders usually reach only SSPC-SP 3 / St 3 and leave tight mill scale.