Abrasive-Impregnated Sponge as ablasting Medium

NNOVATIVE PRACTICE Abrasive-Impregnated Sponge as aBlasting Medium By Norman Hart, HARTechnics Ltd., Great Yarmouth, UK ne of the main problems of u...
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NNOVATIVE PRACTICE

Abrasive-Impregnated Sponge as aBlasting Medium By Norman Hart, HARTechnics Ltd., Great Yarmouth, UK

ne of the main problems of using con ventional blasting media is the high level of dust created. This can lead to an "unfriendly" working environment and very low visibility for the operator

as well as the need for very tight control of con tainment to prevent dust from escaping and harm ing machinery and other workers.

been used for many years. However, they are not as fast and efficient as blast cleaning methods nor do they provide the surface profile required by many modern coating systems. Finally, novel or unconventional methods such as cryogenic cleaning can also present problems, such as high noise levels during operation.

One solution to reduce the effect of these prob lems is to use an abrasive encapsulated in urethane sponge granules.

This is a relatively new process, brought about by

Abrasive-Impregnated Sponge Urethane sponge granules can contain a range of different abrasive particles, such as steel grit, alu

increasing demands to reduce

minium

dust levels and to increase

chips. Details of the impreg nating process are propri

public and worker safety. Additionally, it provides a

or

plastic

etary, but it is clear that the

surface preparation system that can meet the demands of

sponge and abrasive are mixed together, chemically

paint manufacturers' profile

bonded to each other, and

specifications.

allowed to set prior to being sized into the working parti

Available Alternatives Dry blasting with conven

cles.

The sponge particles then are fed into a pressure hop per and fired at high velocity

tional abrasives is very effi cient, fast, and cost-effective, in most instances. As noted, it does have drawbacks,

Various types of abrasive-impregnated spongemedia

which can reduce its effec

(Photo courtesy of Sponge-Jet, Inc.)

toward

tiveness or prohibit its use in

the

surface

to

be

cleaned—similar to conven

tional blast cleaning. How ever, sponge granules react

certain circumstances, such as in very close prox imity to machinery, the general public, or other

differently than other abrasive media when they hit

workers.

requirements. Also, blasting with water alone will

abrades the old coating or rust from the surface, drawing the residue onto the sponge. As a result of the very low rebound velocity of the sponge and its capacity for capturing the product being removed, dust and other particles in free sus pension are dramatically reduced in the work area. This allows blasting to be done in the vicinity of other workers, sensitive machinery, etc. Following are some advantages of this method of

not provide a profile on steel.

surface preparation.

Water blasting at high or ultra-high pressures can be a very effective way to resolve some of these problems, but it also has drawbacks. Water runoff

and spray may be totally unacceptable, especially inside sensitive areas. In addition, the runoff may contain pollutants that must be collected and dis posed of in accordance with hazardous waste

Chemical cleaning can be environmentally unfriendly, slow, and, in some cases, hazardous.

Various mechanical hand and power tools have 42

oxide,

the target. The abrasive particle within the sponge

• It offers a significant reduction in airborne partic ulate dust. In addition, because of low dust levels, containment requirements are reduced.

PCE November 1998

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• The system operates completely dry. This can be an advantage, depending on where the work is being done, because it can be difficult sometimes to contain and dispose of contaminated water from wet blasting operations. • Used sponge can be disposed safely and econom ically by incineration under controlled conditions rather than being deposited in a landfill. • Operating pressures from 1-5.5 bar, depending on the work task, are feasible. Such low operating pressures mean low noise levels. • The method is very controllable, allowing it to be used for selective coating removal or heavy profil ing of a substrate. In addition, based on his experience as a con

tractor, the author has found that sponge particles can be recycled up to 10 times, depending on the substrate being cleaned, that it can be recovered much more quickly than grit, and that it can clean up to four times faster than hand tools. NorthSea oilfields are a tough test for any coating system. When Norsk Hydro needed a system to protect their deck and equip ment on their 110,000 tonne Njord B floating storage unit, they chose CeRam-Kote 54®.

Disadvantages are that blasting with sponge can be slower—up to 30-35% slower, in the author's

experience—and more expensive than blasting with

One coat of CeRam-Kote 54® is usually applied directly to a sub strate by spraying two wet-on-wet thin film passes of 100-125 microns DFT each, eliminating the need for an additional holding primer and topcoat. However, two passes need not be applied wet-on-wet, allowing the first pass to serve as a tough, durable holding primer during the construction process and the last pass applied as a topcoat several months later.

conventional abrasive materials. Also, to be eco

Savings are reflected in reducing the number of coats required, high performance and low maintenance costs.

Urethane sponge can be impregnated with vari ous types of abrasive for different applications.

Unique CeRam-Kote 54® protects by binding sub-micron ceramic particles to the resin system, creating an encapsulating ceramic shell that exhibits superior chemical and dynamic mechanical performance properties including: • Extremely high adhesion: >4000 psi (27.98 MPa). Compare that to typical epoxies! • High surface lubricity with toughness not found in typical PTFE teflon-type coatings • Extraordinary sliding abrasion resistance that protects against erosion/corrosion and abrasion

• Steel grit can be used to remove elastomeric or extremely thick coating systems, mill scale, c\\k\

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nomical, the sponge must be recycled, which means there must always be a containment system in place for this type of operation.

Media Types

heavy corrosion products. Cleaning rates vary from

2-6 m2/h on flat steel plates. It is capable of pro ducing an 85-micron profile. • Aluminium oxide can be used to remove normal

paint and corrosion. Cleaning rates also range from 2-6 m2/h on flat steel plates. This abrasive is capa ble of producing a profile of 50-75 microns. In addition, sponge impregnated with a very fine grade of aluminium oxide, originally developed for use in the aerospace industry, has proven to be quite effective at removing coatings from alumini um or composite materials. It provides a very fine profile. Cleaning rates depend on its use. • Staurolite can be used to remove selective coat

ings, light corrosion, graffiti, grime, and pollution products. Cleaning rates vary depending on its use. Continued on page 63

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44

PCE November 1998

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Continued from page 44

A 40-micron profile is achievable on flat steel plates. • Plastic chips can be used for tasks such as removal of coatings on delicate substrates in aero space or military equipment and in historic restora tion projects. Cleaning rates depend on its use. No profile is produced. In addition, sponge particles without any added abrasive can be used for cleaning food processing and industrial machinery, for radioactive decontam

Bridge construction Cologne. Germany

ating thickness IY±JIiT±

ination, for removal of graffiti, smoke damage, etc. Cleaning rates vary from 4-20 m2/h. No profile is produced.

Blasting Equipment and Process

compact • low cost • accurate • statistics

While the goal in using sponge for blast cleaning

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is the same as conventional media, the method of

operation is slightly different. Compared to conventional abrasive blasting, in which the minimum air pressure is usually 7 bar, pressures used with sponge blasting equipment for removal of normal coatings are not higher than 5.5 bar. Normally, even less pressure is used. For instance, pressures for the removal of graffiti are in the order of 3-4 bar. To remove coatings from air craft, pressures as low as 1-1.5 bar are used. However, high air volume is required—normally 6

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m3/min (at 5.5 bar) of clean, dry air when using a 9 mm nozzle. A larger compressor is needed for a 12 mm nozzle and to run extra equipment such as a separation sifter for recovered media. Blast cleaning with sponge media requires a blast pot that can control media flow and air pressure. The media must be agitated and fed into the blast hose. This is achieved by a mechanical auger drive, rotating feed unit, and an air jet stirrer. A conven tional blast hose and deadman control can be used.

After each use, the media is collected by shovel ling or vacuuming. Since it is lightweight and easy to handle, clean-up can be fast. Since the sponge media is dry, painters can begin work immediately. Used media is put through a mechanical sifter or sieve to separate and remove paint, rust, and other

debris from the sponge granules. The sifter is airdriven from the compressor. The media is then recycled. The particle size of sponge media is designed to be most effective after it has been recycled several

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times, and most operators report that sponge per When the particles are reduced in size to the point that they fall out with the paint chips and rust parti cles in the grader, they are discarded. New sponge can be added to replace the used sponge on a contin uous basis, or it can be allowed to degrade complete ly before replacement. The media can be safely dis posed of by normal means, or it can be incinerated if required, depending on whether it is contaminated by the removed coating material. If the waste contains hazardous materials, it must be disposed in accor dance with local regulations. Although this blasting system creates very little dust from the breakdown of the sponge, adding a small amount of clean water to the media—just enough to make it slightly damp to the touch—can reduce the generation of dust even more. A slight amount of detergent also can be added to help the cleaning operation. The cost of sponge media, depending on the grade and after recycling 10 times, is £210-250/tonne. In comparison, here are prices of selected other abrasive media, based on a survey of suppliers: slag, £80-90/tonne;

sodium

bicarbonate,

£400-500/

tonne; garnet, approximately £180/tonne. However, while media price per pound is the most obvious and common comparison, there are several other factors that must be considered when calculating the total job cost of blasting operations. • Recyclability—Because sponge media is recyclable up to 10 times, spent media can be collected, sieved,

and mixed with new media, thus extending its useful life. Recyclability and low dust characteristics are both economic benefits of sponge, since spent media does not need to be replaced as often and the need

for dust handling equipment is limited. • Freight and waste disposal—The recyclability of sponge media also keeps waste collection, transporta tion, and disposal costs in line. Waste reduction in lead abatement becomes even more important when you consider the high cost of hazardous waste disposal. • Dust levels—Less airborne dust means significantly improved visibility for the operator, which means bet ter productivity because he can see better while blast ing. This means cost savings as well. In lead abate ment operations, low dust also means reduced risk of lead exposure to operators and support personnel, fewer crew rotations, and significantly lower labour costs. Furthermore, less dust means requirements for

PCE November 1998

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