Soda Blasting

Superior Stripping Technology 

Soda Blast is a revolutionary cleaning/stripping technology that is a non-destructive abrasive that eliminates toxic chemicals.

Soda blasting is a new paint stripping and cleaning technology that propels a bicarbonate-or-soda media (via compressed air) onto the area to be cleaned.  This process removes paint and contaminates without harming the underlying surface.  Blast material is specially formulated sodium bicarbonate (baking soda); a non-toxic, non-hazardous food-grade material that is 100 % water soluble and completely environmentally safe. 

 Soda blast particles remove surface contaminates by the energy released as the particles explode when pressure-driven into contact with the contaminate surface.  The resulting release of energy disrupts the contaminate surface—thus leaving the substrate completely unaffected.

 Sand blasting is very damaging to the substrate surface because it will stress-relieve the metal surface, causing it to bend or warp (known as oil-canning).

 Normal stripping techniques require sanders and grinders to remove paint from the surface.  Such methods usually require days to completely prepare, strip and clean.  The non-destructive abrasive characteristic of soda blasting allows projects like vehicles to be completely stripped in as little as 8 to 10 hours.

Soda blasting effectively removes paint, without damage to metal, glass, rubber, chrome or aluminum trim on vehicles.  Soda blasting is ideal for cleaning and stripping of fiberglass/composites parts and panels.

Soda blasting is ideal for cleaning all types of delicate equipment and surfaces; eliminating sanding, soaking, scrubbing and destructive abrasive blasting.

ADVANTAGES OF BAKING SODA BLASTING

Benefit 1:  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.  Natrium 260 soda blast media effectively de-coats and cleans the substrate in one step; producing a level of cleanliness not seen with most processes.  The media is not reusable thus eliminating the issue of blasting with reused media.  Coating adhesion relies heavily on surface cleanliness and a surface profile has been used to offset this lack of cleanliness.

 Benefit 2:  Unique Cutting Action

Natrium 260 soda blast media offers the unique properties of sodium bicarbonate, the primary ingredient.  The softness and friable nature of this crystal produces a unique cutting action with little or no effect 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.

 Benefit 3:  No Pre-Cleaning Required

For projects where the coating is covered with grease, carbon, salt or other contaminates, the more traditional methods require the coating to be fully cleaned before blasting.  This is required so that the contaminants on the surface of the coating are not driven through the coating and into the surface of the substrate, causing future coating failure.

 Benefit 4:  No Need to Re-Profile Steel

Natrium 260 soda blast media will not profile 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 need to re-profile the surface.

 Benefit 5:  Reduced Solid Waste

Natrium 260 Soda blast media can be dissolved in water.  With increasing landfill costs and liabilities, this advantage becomes more important every day.

 Benefit 6:  Natural Rust Inhibitor

As long as the baking soda residue 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.  Baking soda buffers the acids, prevents the release of free metal ions and prevents rust.

Benefit 7:  Reduced Clean-Up Costs

Natrium 260 soda blast media performs roughly the same level of work as sandblasting while producing 1/3 to 1/5 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 is that total costs per square foot are about the same for both approaches.  

Benefit 8:  Waste Disposal

In most non-hazardous applications, the residue from blasting with Natrium 260 soda blast media 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, baking soda blast media can often save significant dollars in waste treatment.

Benefit 9:  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 extra cellular buffer for the human body; thus sodium bicarbonate is part of the body’s normal chemistry.  Sodium bicarbonate and thus, Natrium 260 soda blast media 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 contaminate or coating being removed during the blasting process.

 Benefit 10:  Removes Odors

The same odor absorbing effect seen in the refrigerator at home is present when blasting with Natrium 260 soda blast media.  It not only removes the contaminates, it also reduces the unfriendly odors. 

Benefit 11:  Replaces Dangerous Solvents

Natrium 260 soda blast media when applied wet is an excellent de-greasing medium that eliminates the use of solvents in most cleaning processes.  Natrium 260 soda blast media does not “dissolve” or “emulsify” grease or oils, it simply coats them causing the grease or oil to release from the surface.  It also eliminates the translocation of oil and grease.

 Benefit 12:  Does Not Produce Sparks

Natrium 260 soda blast media will not produce thermal sparks and is suitable for use in explosion proof areas; including refineries, chemical plants and grain elevators as long as proper grounding techniques are used to prevent static charge build up.

 Benefit 13:  Improved Crack Detection

When cleaning metal surfaces for crack detection, standard abrasive blasting tend to peen the crack closed or pack the crack with abrasive, making crack detection more difficult.  Natrium 260 soda blast media actually cleans out the crack, leaving it exposed and easy to see.

Benefit 14:  No Residue Problems in Small Passageways

Natrium 260 soda blast media is 100 % water-soluble.  It can be used to clean critical engine components including those with small passageways.  Once cleaned, the baking soda residue can be thoroughly rinsed off by dissolving in water.  Traditional blast materials are not water-soluble and if left after cleaning, can pack into small passageways and possibly damage an engine while in operation.

 Benefit 15:  Reduce Surface Acids

As a strong buffer for acids and alkalis, baking soda eliminates acidic conditions on the surface of the substrate.  For conditions with high acid levels, acid rain or boiler fly ash, blasting with Natrium 260 soda blast media will reduce coating failures.