Garnet Abrasive
Garnet Abrasive
Garnet is a hard silicate mineral which is mined from almandite and andradite quarried in Australia, India, USA, South Africa and China. Boasting a high cleaning efficiency it requires less abrasive to be used compared to other silicate materials and has a low relative lost per square metre. Garnet can also be used as a recyclable abrasive and it has become popular as a less expensive alternative to aluminium oxide.
Garnet Abrasive Uses
Similar to Olivine, Garnet can be used for both ferrous and non-ferrous metal substrates and thanks to its excellent cutting properties it is a great option for water jetting applications. With a low dust ratio, it can be used in applications that are environmentally sensitive. Garnet abrasive generally creates less dust than other expendable abrasives as it breaks down less readily in comparison.
Garnet abrasive is one of the safest, most versatile and most effective media when it comes to blast cleaning. With the highest specific gravity of all the natural and synthetic abrasives commonly used on-site, it has extremely good blasting efficiency. In addition to this, garnet has a high bulk density, meaning more weight per cubic metre compared to other abrasives allowing a higher weight to be stored in less space.
Blasting Garnet
With a hardness on the Mohs scale between 7 and 8, there are few natural or synthetic materials that can match it for abrasive cleaning. Where conditions are suitable, garnet abrasives can be recycled in place of more expensive alternatives such as Aluminium Oxide, Chilled Iron or Steel grit.
In its natural state, garnet has a relatively high content of soluble salt. Nowadays, however, garnet that has been properly washed and processed by reputable suppliers has soluble salt concentrations within or slightly above the guidelines set by ISO 11126
Benefits of garnet abrasive
There are many reasons to choose Garnet as your abrasive of choice and some of the most compelling reasons include:
- Cost-effective – Garnet abrasives not only last a long time, but they require fewer volumes to get the same results as other natural minerals.
- Environmentally friendly – as a natural, inert and non-toxic mineral, there is no environmental risk when using garnet.
- Clean media – with very little dust, garnet can be used in confined spaces and anywhere where there are strict environmental restrictions.
Garnet abrasive is a high-performance blast media that is commonly used for the cleaning of aluminium and fibreglass structures. It also has uses in water-jetting and can be used on sites where contamination is a concern such as applications close to watercourses.
Available grades
At KeyAbrasives we have a wide range of grades of Garnet available which include: 120 mesh, 80 mesh, 30/60 mesh, 20/40 mesh and 12/24 mesh. We have all grades of Garnet available to purchase online in 25kg bags, for larger orders of a tonne or more please get in touch with our team on 01302 714 517 or send us an email at sales@keyabrasives.co.uk.
Which abrasive to use?
See our guide of potential abrasives to use, there are many variations for each application depending on different actors of the work involved so please call to discuss if unsure.