10X Blast Abrasive Offers Ways to Slow Rust Bloom on Steel
A recent trial, conducted by T-Tex Industries of Houston, TX, found that a new class of engineered blast abrasive delayed rust bloom by at least three days. The advanced abrasive, produced by 10X Engineered Materials, was tested alongside copper slag and garnet. Each material was used to blast sections of a steel panel, which was then left outside for three days. The section blasted with the advanced engineered abrasive from 10X was the only part to remain clear of rust.
WABASH, Ind., April 24, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A recent trial, conducted by T-Tex Industries of Houston, TX, found that a new class of engineered blast abrasive delayed rust bloom by at least three days. The advanced abrasive, produced by 10X Engineered Materials, was tested alongside copper slag and garnet. Each material was used to blast sections of a steel panel, which was then left outside for three days. The section blasted with the advanced engineered abrasive from 10X was the only part to remain clear of rust.
Rust bloom, also known as "flash rust," can form on a steel surface within hours if salts or iron residuals are present to initiate the corrosion reaction of iron and oxygen. Rust bloom can increase the time, cost, and complexity of blasting and painting operations while decreasing the quality and useful life of coatings. Preventing rust bloom increases scheduling flexibility as projects transition from the blasting phase to the coating phase.
"Our initial objective was to assess the cleaning speed, friability / dust emissions, and profile capabilities of the product – all of which exceeded expectations. When the testing was over, we just left the panel in our yard exposed to the open air and typical Houston humidity. It wasn't until the next day that we happened to walk by the panel and noticed that the flash rusting process was visible on the copper slag and gradually decreased as it progressed past the garnet sample over to 10X," said Erik Kasselman, Technical Sales Manager at T-Tex Industries. "The 10X side of the panel was exhibiting no signs of corrosion and this held true over the next two days. I feel confident that this added benefit could have a profound effect on the quality of surface preparation needed on severe duty coating specs or any application where chemicals are needed to buy time prior to initial priming of the surface."
Many firms delay rust bloom through chemical inhibitors, which can be both costly and caustic. However, it is possible to delay rust bloom naturally by eliminating the embedded abrasive particles and residues, such as salt and iron, left behind after blasting. The new abrasive from 10X leaves a clean surface with nearly zero particle embedment. As a result, materials blasted with 10X abrasives are more resistant to rust bloom.
"As we accumulate more field experience with our customers and evaluate what we learn scientifically, we continue to discover new and significant performance benefits," said Steve Ricci, Lead Technologist at 10X. "Rust bloom is a huge problem for our blast and paint customers and we are thrilled to be able to provide a solution for it."
10X is currently conducting further tests to understand the full potential of its advanced abrasives to prevent rust bloom and plans to release more comprehensive results as more testing data becomes available.
ABOUT THE ABRASIVE
10X is made in the U.S. and contains zero free silica or beryllium. It is currently available across the U.S. from a growing network of distributors. For more information on 10X, as well as a special offer for PaintSquare readers interested in trying the product, visit 10XEM.com/
SOURCE 10X Engineered Materials
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