Media blasting is the treatment of a surface with a combination of compressed air or high-pressure water and an abrasive material. “Media blasting” is generally interchangeable with “sandblasting,” though when sand is not used for blasting, media blasting is technically more accurate. This treatment is intended to cleanse surfaces of imperfections or to change their properties.
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Media blasting can be used to remove paint, grease, oil, corrosive oxidization or other undesirable particles or impurities from a surface, and it is often done in advance of paint or sealant application to ensure an even distribution of product over a surface. Media blasting can be performed on any variety of surfaces that are sturdy enough to withstand the pressure from the machinery. Because media blasting is such an effective surface treatment, it has been used on some of the world's most important landmarks as a restorative measure. The Golden Gate Bridge, for example, is sometimes sandblasted in advance of paint reapplication projects. Media blasting can also be used as a glass etching method. In recent years, media blasting techniques have shifted away from the use of silica because of the potential health risks for media blasting workers. Silicosis, an incurable lung disease, has been linked to long-term exposure to fine-grain silica. For this and other reasons, media blasters have switched to other materials like walnut shells and ground corn cobs.
The media blasting process begins with a media blaster. They come in many sizes and configurations. A media blaster can take up a whole room, or it can be small and portable for media blasting work in many locations. The system can be fully or partially automated, or it can be specialized for materials that require careful attention. In every media blaster configuration, though, the concept of media blasting is the same: a concentrated stream of combined media and air/water directed at a surface changes that surface somehow. When used before paint application or for other cleaning purposes, blasted media can remove residual paint and other surface imperfections, leaving behind a smooth surface (media blasting is a popular choice for graffiti removal for this reason) Media blasting is also widely used as a method for creating glass etchings or other glass treatments. The variability of force, media, projection angle and a host of other factors allow glass etchers a diversity of methods by which they can make glass alterations. Even the clothing industry, denim fabricators in particular, have used media blasting as a surface treatment method (media blasting of denim creates a weathered look).
