Why Soda Blasting is the Absolute… BEST?

Falling under the umbrella of surface cleaning, Soda Blasting is incredibly efficient. Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) is a very fine powder, comparable to baking soda. Soda is very effective at removing contaminants such as greases and grimes, rust, and in some cases paint, without damaging the underlying material. It is both a cleaning and stripping abrasive, environmentally friendly, and can suit several application needs. This is why Soda is the best: the gentle, yet incredibly effective abrasive.

How It Works!

Using compressed air in a dry blast machine, the Soda is propelled with high speed at the chosen part. The impact of this removes contaminants from the surfaces of the part, such as greases, grimes, buildup, and even paint. Soda additionally is non-toxic and biodegradable making this an environmentally friendly blasting option.

Soda can be used for many different types of applications including industrial and restoration. Industrial applications would be more maintenance and manufacturing, mainly using this for cleaning equipment. Restoration is ideal for restoring vehicles and such, cleaning the parts completely without damaging the integrity of the parts themselves.

Below is a before and after of an engine head we Dry Soda Blasted.

Why Soda Is Ideal

While Soda is an incredible abrasive choice, there are a few downsides. As this abrasive is used in dry blasting systems, it is not as rough when in comparison to other abrasives such as aluminum oxide or glass bead. This is because it cannot actually roll across the part when blasting because it is a single use abrasive, as well as water soluble. What this means is that this particle explodes upon impact, so it is not reusable, therefore Soda can only clean and strip contaminants off of parts, not actually polish the surfaces. All of this being said however, Soda is gentle, yet incredibly effective.

Soda blasting is more so comparable to hydro blasting, or parts washing than it is to dry blasting in this perspective, since Soda blasting cannot polish. Hydro blasting and parts washing are strictly for removing greases and grimes off of parts. You can think of this as perhaps taking a shower without any soap. Soda blasting can do essentially the same thing that these machines can do, but even more. Yes, Soda blasting can cleanse parts of greases and grimes, but it can also remove buildup, and even paints. This is because parts washers do not contain any sort of aggregate, (again the shower without soap), whereas Soda Blasting does. Soda is perfect for both cleaning and stripping parts completely of any buildup or contaminants on your part.

Another major benefit of Soda blasting is the fact that you do not need to worry about media embedment. This is where media gets lodges into the metal itself and can work its way out under heat as well as media being packed into cavities on the part. With Soda blasting, as long as you rinse you part after blasting, that is no problem. Even if there is some Soda left on the part itself, when put back into service, the Soda will dissolve into an oil so that you do not have to worry about abrasive being left on your part.

Learn More Below

Check out the YouTube video linked below to see Soda Blasting in action, and reach out with the information below with further questions or information you need!