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Copyright © 2002 The Harmon Group
Last modified:
04/12/03
APPROACH
Harmon Distributing Systems uses Soda or Sand to remove most coatings from
almost any surface. The equipment & media is combined for a wide use of
applications to remove paint, rust, dirt, carbon, oil and grease from steel,
stainless steel, aluminum, galvanized metal, concrete, glass and more.....
SODA BLASTING
SANDBLASTING
Cob blasting
What is it?
Uses
Why It Works
Examples
Advantages
Examples
SODA BLASTING EXAMPLES
WHAT IS SODA BLASTING?
It is a process where a surface is cleaned or paint is removed or coatings of
any kind are stripped from a substrate. It is very similar to traditional sand
blasting yet has the significant advantage of cleaning the surface without
causing any harm to the substrate or the environment.
APPLICATIONS
From the removal of graffiti from brick and concrete to the cleaning of boat
bottoms, from the removal of carbon, char, and odors from buildings damaged by
fire to refurbishing stainless steel kitchen equipment, from removing oil and
grease from engines to removing offensive odors in stairwells, from cleaning
washrooms in manufacturing facilities to removing paint from brick and steel,
from removing rust and paint from cars to the line removal off highways, this
approach has proved to be successful time and time again. The system has been
used for:
Paint Removal
Engine Parts
Brick & Concrete
Hard Wood
Odor Elimination
Cleaning Boats
Anilox Rolls
Fiberglass
Rust Removal
Cars-Paint/Rust
Airplane Parts
Stain Removal
Graffiti Removal
Fire Restoration
Conveyor Systems
And More!
WHY THIS APPROACH
Equipment is easy to use
Equipment is transportable, in many cases a one-man operation
Short set-up time
Media is environmentally sensible (USDA Approved as an A1 cleaner)
Media is water soluble, gentle yet effective
Safer than solvents, caustics and acids
Media is an odor-eater
Clean up is relatively easy
WHY IT WORKS...
The cleaning effectiveness of blast soda is a direct result of its physical
properties. These qualities allow the media to be used in a wide variety of
applications.
The magic of baking soda is due to: Granulation resulting in consistent sizing
of the cleaning media
Shape is multi sided leads to an improved cleaning capability
Hardness is such that it will not damage delicate substrates
Friability (easily crumbled) enhances the cleaning process
pH of media (8.2) greatly reduces any
caustic effect
These properties provide the cleaning power of media:
1. High friability with consistent angular fractures results in smaller,
uniformly angular cleaning particles. This feature ensures that all surfaces of
a part can be cleaned effectively.
2. media is very soft (2.4 on Mohs Scale of Hardness) and is a friable cleaning
agent. This means that blasting with soda is like throwing a snowball at a fence
whereas other less friable media (plastic at 3.5 and glass at 5.0 on Mohs
Hardness Scale) is like throwing a stone at a fence.
3. media imparts a cleaning effect where other abrasives use a hit and cut
method to clean or chop away the coating.
4. soda crystals begin at less than 70 microns. At impact the crystal crumbles
and gently imparts the energy into a cleaning mass. Much of this energy is
transferred perpendicular to the angle of the blast across the entire structure.
The result is a clean surface.
5. Easily remove carbon, grease, oils, gasket material, surface corrosion, paint
and coatings from a variety of alloys, plastics and composites without substrate
damage or distortion, even leaves hard anodized coatings intact.
6. Reduce cycle time by cleaning, de-greasing, de-painting in one step. Unlike
glass beads or plastic media, soda requires no pre-wash and its water solubility
allows for complete rinsing, eliminating the risk of spent media lodging in
tight spaces or critical passageways.
ADVANTAGES...
Cleaning & De-Coating in One Step
Standard abrasive blasting is a dirty process, often loading and even embedding
the surface with contaminants (grease, oil, tar & abrasive particles) in the
process of removing the coating. Recycled abrasives compound this problem by
loading increasing amounts of contaminants into the substrate. Soda blast
media's effectively de-coats and cleans the substrate in one step; producing a
level of surface cleanliness not seen with most processes. The media is not
reusable thus eliminating the issue of blasting with re-used media. Coating
adhesion relies heavily on surface cleanliness and a surface profile has been
used to offset this lack of cleanliness.
Unique Cutting Action
Soda blast media offers the unique properties of sodium bicarbonate, the primary
ingredient. The softness (Mohs Hardness = 2.4) and friable nature of this
crystal produces a unique cutting action with little or no effort on most
substrates. For example, thick coatings can be removed from glass without any
etching effect. With proper care, delicate substrates can be cleaned without
damage.
No Pre-Cleaning Required
For projects where the coating is covered with grease, carbon, salt or other
contaminants, the more traditional blasting methods require the coating to be
fully cleaned before blasting. This is required so that the contaminants on the
surface of the coating not be driven through the coating and into the surface of
the substrate, causing future coating failure.
No Need To Re-Profile Steel
Standard grades of soda media (without any hard aggregates) do not profile
steel. soda have a Profile grade of baking soda that imparts a profile on steel.
When an operator removes a coating from a metal surface, he or she exposes the
existing anchor pattern under the coating. Unless corrosion has occurred, there
is no reason to re-profile the surface.
Reduced Solid Waste
soda blast media can be dissolved in fresh water. By dissolving the media and
filtering out the contaminants the solution can generally be discharged to POTW
treatment systems or open waterways, with proper discharge permits. Waste volume
is generally reduced to less than 5% of the original waste volume. With
increasing landfill costs and liabilities, this advantage becomes more important
every day.
Natural Rust Inhibitor
As long as soda is on a ferrous metal surface, rust will not form. For rust to
form, free moisture and an acidic condition must exist. In most cases, free
moisture combines with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to form carbonic acid.
This acid releases a free metal (ferrous) ion which combines with oxygen
(oxidizes) to form rust. soda buffers acids, prevents the release of free metal
ions and prevents rust.
Reduced Clean-Up Costs
soda blast media performs roughly the same level of work (somewhat slower) as
sand blasting while producing 1/5 to 1/7 of the total waste volume. Although
media costs per square foot are higher, site clean-up and residue disposal are
significantly lower. The net balance id that total cost per square foot are
about the same for both approaches.
Benefits In Waste Disposal
In most non-hazardous applications, the residue from blasting with soda can be
rinsed into sanitary drains or sewers which flush the residue to a water
treatment facility, greatly reducing the clean-up time. Sodium bicarbonate is
actually beneficial to waste water treatment systems.
For industrial treatment systems, where chemical neutralization is a major cost
in water treatment, soda blast media can often save significant dollars in waste
treatment.
Increased Worker Safety
The safety of sodium bicarbonate to workers is well understood, since it has
been in use for some 160 years. The bicarbonate buffer system is the major
extracellular buffer in the human body, thus sodium bicarbonate is part of the
body's normal chemistry.
Sodium bicarbonate and thus, soda is not toxic via ingestion, inhalation or
dermal contact, nor is it a skin or eye irritant as defined by EPA and OSHA. Any
risk to workers is primarily the containment or coating removed during the
blasting operation. Removes Odors
The same odor absorbing effect seen in the refrigerator at home is present when
blasting with soda media. It not only removes the contaminants, it also reduces
the unfriendly odors.
Replaces Dangerous Solvents
soda formula is an excellent de-greasing media that eliminates the uses of
solvents in most cleaning processes. Hydroflex does not "dissolve" or "emulsify"
grease and oils, it simply coats them causing the grease or oil to release from
the surface. It also eliminates the translocation of oil and grease.
Does Not Produce Sparks
Standard grades of soda blast media (without hard aggregate) will not produce
thermal sparks and are suitable for use in explosion proof areas; including
refineries, chemical plants and grain elevators as long as proper grounding
techniques are used to prevent a static charge build up.
Improved Crack Detection
When cleaning metal surfaces for crack detection, standard abrasive blasting
tends to peen the crack closed or pack the crack with abrasive, making crack
detection more difficult. soda media actually cleans out the crack, leaving it
exposed and easy to find.
No Residue Problems In Small
Passageways
Standard grades of soda blast media (without hard aggregate) are 100% water
soluble. They can be used to clean critical engine components including those
with small passageways. Once cleaned, the soda residue can be thoroughly rinsed
off by dissolving in water.
Traditional blast media are not water soluble and if left after cleaning, can
pack into small passageways and possibly damage an engine while on operation.
Reduce Surface Acids
As a strong buffer for acids and alkalis, soda eliminates acidic conditions on
the surface of the substrate. For conditions with high acid levels, acid rain or
boiler fly ash, blasting with soda will reduce coating failures.
SSPC-NACE Standards
soda will attain a level of clean that will meet the standards of both NACE and
SSPC.
NACE 1 (SP-5) White Metal Blast Cleaning
NACE 2 (SP-10) Near-White Blast Cleaning
NACE 3 (SP-6) Commercial Blast Cleaning
NACE 4 (SP-7) Brush-Off Blast Cleaning
Hardness Scale
soda has a hardness of 2.4 on Mohs' scale of Hardness. The softness of this
media means that it can be used to remove most materials without harming the
substrate.
Benefits Of Process
Environmentally Sensible
Non-Hazardous to Workers
Non-Toxic Media
Water Soluble Media
Low Blasting Pressure
Does Not Generate Explosive Dust
Does Not Pose A Threat Of Silicosis
Where Used
Industrial Maintenance
Chemical & Petro-Chemical
Oil & Gas Production
Pulp & Paper
Food & Beverage Processing
Textile Mills
Foundries & Steel Production
Printing Industry
Electrical Utilities
Mining
Aviation, Military & Commercial
OEM's, Automotive, Electronic
Marine
Transportation, Transit, Highway.
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