Is Dustless Blasting Really Dustless?
Is Dustless Blasting Really Dustless?
There are many benefits of dustless blasting, one of the biggest being thought is that it doesn’t produce dust. However, there is no such thing as “dustless” or “dust-free” blasting in the surface preparation industry. All abrasive blasting equipment operating under normal conditions produces dust.
So, you’re probably wondering why it’s called dustless blasting if it isn’t zero dust?
How does dust occur?
When a particle of abrasive media shatters, it breaks down into sub-particles. The smallest sub-particles fail to fall to the ground for lacking the mass in the presence of air turbulence produced during the abrasive blasting.
With a wet blasting, the abrasive is encapsulated by the water. When the particle shatters upon impact, the ensuing wet sub-particles are trapped by the water and gravity pulls them to the floor, despite the air turbulence.
However, some sub-particles are so small, that even though encapsulated in water they do not take on sufficient mass to counteract the force of air turbulence, and they are being airborne in the atmosphere. What’s more, not all sub-particles are encapsulated in water. Sub-particles emitting from the dry interior of the original particle may not become moistened at all. This is why no wet-based blasting can completely eliminate dust.
What should we look upon it?
Wet abrasive blasting utilizes water to capture particles before they enter the air, but it can’t possibly catch them all. However, what it does capture makes the process one that many blasters prefer over traditional methods.
Abrasive blasters use breathing protection to keep dust, heavy metals, and other harmful particulate matter out of their lungs. Of particular concern is silica dust, which causes silicosis. Silicosis is caused by breathing in the invisible particles (silica) created by sandblasting. Silica is a mineral part of sand, rock, and other mineral ores. These particles scar your lungs over time which can harden your ability to breathe.
A blaster operating under the misconception that his process is not producing dust might reasonably assume that breathing protection isn’t necessary.
Understanding that wet blasting still produces these harmful particles is crucial to your health.
What are the advantages of wet blasting?
When proper precautions are taken, the benefits of wet abrasive blasting are plenty. For one, your protection is a lot more comfortable and lightweight. The blast suit that must be worn for wet abrasive blasting includes eye protection, hearing protection, and a respirator.
On the other hand, dry blasting suits include a blast suit, gloves, helmet/hood, and hearing protection.
Another benefit is that the containment setup for wet abrasive blasting is less than that of traditional blasting. Rather than ensuring the dry blasting environment is fully contained, a simple tarp set up for easy cleanup is all you’ll need.
This form of blasting also uses fewer media than dry blasting and a significantly lower amount of water compared to slurry blasting, saving you money over time.
With wet abrasive blasting, the water also helps to keep metallic surfaces cooler when blasting. This is particularly important when blasting thinner metals.
Should we look into wet abrasive blasting?
Wet blasting can be used in a wide variety of applications: from antique restoration to surface prep. It also creates less operating costs and equipment wear when compared to other forms of blasting.
Though it cannot completely eliminate dust, it is still a good choice if you want a better abrasive blasting environment and prefers a time-tested method.
Sources:
https://sandblastingmachines.com/blog/is-dustless-blasting-really-dustless/ https://www.graco.com/us/en/contractor/solutions/articles/true-dustless-blasting-is-a-myth.html
