Benefits of Garnet Abrasives

Garnet is a mineral widely used for sandblasting, and is commonly derived from deposits of either Almandite or Andradite. There are many advantages to using Garnet minerals over other minerals, as it can be used for both wet and dry sandblasting applications. As an industrial gemstone, garnets create a profile that is virtually free of embedment. Due to this reason it is used for coating adhesion, and is also excellent for applications where it is required that there is low or no transfer of grit into the substrate.

Garnet is preferred as a sandblasting mineral in tanks and other confined spaces where use of a low dusting abrasive is necessary; and in dry docks, bridges, and shipyards where water contamination is a concern. It is also widely used in Aluminium and Fiberglass surfaces, Hangar decks and Industrial Painting. Garnet is used in powder coating and in denim blasting as well. It is available in shades of colours ranging from Pink, Red to Brown, and Grey to Brown; and in densities ranging from 135 lbs/ft3 to 150 lbs/ft3.

Benefits of using garnet applications

Low Dusting emissions

Garnet is proven to be a fast and clean blast media. Blast cleaning using Garnet is cleaner, as it provides significantly lower dust emissions due to its inherent material toughness. The material has high specific gravity and allows for rapid settling. This is advantageous as it causes minimum disruption to nearby operations, and allows for clear operator visibility.

Higher Productivity

When there are a larger number of grains of a particular shape impacting on the surface at a high speed, it is possible to achieve very fast cutting. Smaller grains of garnet accelerate much more easily and offer greater impact energy to surfaces. This results in a superior cleaning rate - which is usually twice the rate achieved when using conventional abrasives.

Lower consumption of the mineral- possibility of recycling

Garnet is a very cost effective abrasive as it will last much longer due to its hardness. (Mohs Hardness is 7 to 8 depending on the type of garnet used). Also, when garnet is used, there are many more active grains impacting the surface which greatly reduces abrasive consumption. This also means that you can recycle a number of times, typically at least two times, and sometimes more when starting with a coarser grade.

Environmental Safety

Garnet is found to be non-toxic with very low free silica levels (generally less than 1%). This ensures that there is no hazard of silicosis, or any risk of contamination from leachable heavy metals or radioactive substances. Due to lower consumption and recyclability, disposal volumes are greatly reduced. This makes the use of garnet environmentally safer and more sustainable. As a result, garnet is often used to blast structures that are nearby bodies of water, so that there is no contamination by the blasting media itself.

Excellent for coating prep use - produces Superior Surface Quality Garnet grains are able to clean deep into the cavities and pitted areas right down to the bare metal, which results in a blasted surface that is free of embedment and rogue peaks and troughs.
All rust, soluble salts and other contamination's are thoroughly removed.

Garnet sizing and profiles:

16 - Very Coarse, used for blast rooms on blasting steel, bridges, ships and tanks
36 - Coarse, used for thick coatings, marine fouling, and rust
30�40 - Intermediate, used on heavier coatings and rust
30�60 - Medium, used for new steel and maintenance for coatings
80 Mesh - Medium Fine, used for aluminium and other sensitive substrates, including marine aluminium applications, and hydro blast cleaning operations
100 Mesh - Fine, can be used on aluminium and fiberglass, as well as for rust removal and mill scale on new steel, also a perfect water jet cutting abrasive


 By Usha Sunil


Article Source:  Benefits of Garnet Abrasives