What is vapor blasting? Vapor blasting is a form of standard dry abrasive blasting, with the exception of the temperature used. Dry blasting employs an air compressor or pressurized water gun to remove, chip and smoothen the surfaces of nonporous materials. This procedure is also used to roughen and buff surfaces on tanks, pipes, floors, ceilings and other areas where high speeds are needed. The blasting produces very little noise but produces large amounts of dust and debris, which must be swept away from the work area. Some industries utilize this method to speed up the boring and repetitive tasks such as drilling and pumping.
Abrasive blasting is done by wetting a material and then shooting high-pressure hot air or water in a cavitation chamber (to create a vacuum) under high pressure. The hot air or water vapor blasting then goes on to polish off the material's outer layer. This produces a roughened or buffed surface. Abrasive blasting is often used after cleaning or polishing copper, aluminum, brass, steel, and stainless steel. It can even be used on wood to remove years of accumulated stains.
Abrasive grit blasting, as the name implies, is done with dry abrasive media. This dry abrasive media consists of high-pressure sodium silicates, aluminum oxide, or carbon dioxide. When this dry abrasive media is blasted on the surface to be sandblasted, it becomes finer and smoother with more lines and ridges in the pattern. Sometimes, extra pressure is required to get the right effect. Sandblasting using a wet abrasive media produces finer lines on smooth surfaces while blasting using dry media produces ridges on roughened or dull surfaces.
Dry abrasives are effective for removing grease buildup, deeply worn or damaged surfaces, and dust buildup from sanding or polishing. But there is one more advantage to using dry sandblasters instead of water: the sandblasted surfaces are non-corrosive. This makes them suitable for outdoor usage and gives them an added benefit over their water-based counterparts.
With its abrasive nature, a dry blasting session leaves your surfaces looking clean and shiny. But it can also remove unwanted contaminates on the surface of your materials that will eventually cause corrosion. Since dry blasting leaves the ground surface intact, contaminants will be attracted to the surface once it is removed, and it will lead to increased cost and time spent on cleaning up the contamination. But with the dry-blasted finish, all the dirt and contaminates are removed, leaving behind a fresh, pristine surface ready for polishing and finishing. This is why dry blasting is a more cost-effective way of cleaning and protecting your finished work.
There are a few things to consider when you choose this technique over a water-based alternative. The first is that a smaller machine gun and less powerful compressed air are required. Also, because a dustless blasting session does not leave dents or scratches in the finish, you may find it more difficult to have a professional to refinish your work at home. But with the right equipment and a little practice, you will be able to master the techniques and enjoy a trouble-free, dustless blasting experience just like a professional. Check out this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry-ice_blasting to get more info on the topic.
