Can you sandblast plastics?

September 18, 2024

Different types of plastics

Thermoplastics

 

1. Polyethylene (PE)

• Industry applications:

– Food packaging: plastic bags, food wrap, bottle caps

– Construction industry: water supply and drainage pipes, floor heating pipes

– Daily necessities: plastic bags, containers, toys

• Performance requirements:

– Toughness and puncture resistance: The polyethylene in food packaging needs to be flexible enough to prevent the bag from breaking during use, and it also needs to be puncture-resistant.

– Chemical and UV resistance: Pipe materials used outdoors need to resist corrosive chemicals and sunlight aging.

• The role of sandblasting media: Improve the surface flatness and sealing of food packaging and plastic sealing materials.
• Suitable sandblasting media: silica sand, glass beads, aluminum oxide blast media

 

2. Polypropylene (PP)

• Industry applications:

– Medical devices: syringes, disposable infusion bags

– Automobile manufacturing: bumpers, dashboards, headlight housings

– Home appliances: rice cooker liner, washing machine parts

• Performance requirements:

– High temperature stability and heat resistance: In medical and automotive applications, PP needs to remain stable in high temperature environments.

– Impact resistance: Automobile bumpers and home appliance parts require high impact resistance.

• The role of sandblasting media: Remove production residues, ensure surface cleanliness and improve adhesion.
• Suitable sandblasting media: silica sand, glass beads, polystyrene beads

3. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

• Industry applications:

– Construction: pipes, window frames, wire and cable sheaths

– Medical: blood bags, infusion tubes

– Automobile: interior materials, door seals

• Performance requirements:

– Weather resistance and flame retardancy: PVC needs to have good UV resistance and flame retardancy in the construction and automotive industries.

– Flexibility and sealing: PVC in medical devices must ensure flexibility and sealing performance to avoid leakage.

• The role of sandblasting media: Sandblasting makes the surface more uniform, enhances weather resistance and sealing.
• Suitable sandblasting media: silica sand, glass beads, aluminum oxide blast media

 

4. Polystyrene (PS)

• Industry applications:

– Food packaging: disposable tableware, fast food boxes

– Electronic products: TV housing, computer accessories

– Construction: insulation materials, decorative materials

• Performance requirements:

– Heat resistance and insulation: Polystyrene in building materials must have good insulation and high temperature resistance.

– Toughness and shatterproof: Food packaging and electronic product housings require good toughness to prevent cracking and fragmentation.

• The role of sandblasting media: Improve surface strength and shatter resistance
• Suitable sandblasting media: silica sand, glass beads, polystyrene beads

 

5. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

• Industry applications:

– Beverage industry: mineral water bottles, carbonated beverage bottles

– Textile industry: man-made fibers (such as polyester)

– Packaging industry: food packaging film, pharmaceutical packaging

• Performance requirements:

– High transparency and airtightness: PET needs to maintain transparency and airtightness in packaging.

– Impact resistance: PET in beverage bottles needs to have good impact resistance.

• The role of sandblasting media: Make the PET surface smoother and ensure packaging transparency and airtightness.
• Suitable sandblasting media: glass beads, aluminum oxide blast media, polystyrene beads

 

6. Polycarbonate (PC)

• Industry applications:

– Electronic products: mobile phone housing, laptop housing

– Optical industry: glasses, CD discs

– Construction industry: weather-resistant panels, transparent roofs

• Performance requirements:

– Impact resistance and transparency: PC needs good transparency and impact resistance.

– High temperature resistance: PC in electronic products needs to have high temperature resistance.

• The role of sandblasting media: Remove minor defects and improve the impact resistance of PC.
• Suitable sandblasting media: silica sand, glass beads, aluminum oxide blast media

Thermosetting plastics

 

1. Phenolic resin

• Industry applications:

– Automobile industry: brake friction plate, clutch plate

– Electrical insulation: switches, sockets, electrical housings

• Performance requirements:

– High temperature resistance and mechanical strength: In the automotive industry, it is necessary to remain stable under high temperature and mechanical stress.

– Electrical insulation: In the electrical industry, it must have good electrical insulation performance.

• The role of sandblasting media: The sandblasting process can improve the surface structure of phenolic resin and enhance its performance in high temperature and high stress environments.
• Suitable sandblasting media: silica sand, glass beads, aluminum oxide blast media

 

2. Epoxy resin

• Industry applications:

– Electronic packaging: integrated circuit packaging, circuit board protection

– Adhesives: building structural adhesives, industrial adhesives

• Performance requirements:

– Corrosion resistance and adhesion: Epoxy resin needs to have excellent chemical corrosion resistance and adhesion to ensure its stability in various applications.

• The role of sandblasting media: Improve surface adhesion and cleanliness, which is important in electronic packaging.
• Suitable sandblasting media: silica sand, glass beads, aluminum oxide blast media

 

3. Polyurethane (PU)

• Industry applications:

– Furniture industry: mattresses, sofa fillings

– Footwear: sports shoe midsoles, insoles

– Coatings and sealants: architectural coatings, waterproof coatings

• Performance requirements:

– Softness and wear resistance: In furniture and footwear applications, polyurethane must be soft and have good wear resistance.

– Weather resistance and waterproofness: When used in coatings and sealants, PU needs to maintain weather resistance in outdoor environments.

• The role of sandblasting media: Improve surface smoothness and wear resistance. Through sandblasting, the surface of PU materials is more uniform and smooth, and the durability and comfort of furniture and footwear are improved.
• Suitable sandblasting media: silica sand, glass beads, polystyrene beads

Engineering plastics

  Polyamide (nylon, PA)

• Industry applications:

– Mechanical parts: gears, bearings, pulleys

– Textile industry: nylon fibers (such as nylon ropes, fishing nets)

• Performance requirements:

– High wear resistance and fatigue resistance: In mechanical applications, nylon must have extremely high wear resistance and fatigue resistance and be able to withstand high loads.

• The role of sandblasting media: Reduce surface stress concentration, extend the service life of nylon parts, and ensure their durability under high load environments.
• Suitable sandblasting media: silica sand, glass beads, aluminum oxide blast media

2. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

• Industry applications:

– Chemical equipment: corrosion-resistant lining, seals

– Food processing: non-stick pan coating, baking tray

• Performance requirements:

– High corrosion resistance and anti-stick properties: PTFE materials are required to be corrosion-resistant and have excellent anti-stick properties in food processing and chemical equipment.

• The role of sandblasting media: Improve the smoothness and anti-stick properties of the PTFE surface to ensure that it maintains stable performance in a corrosive environment.
• Suitable sandblasting media: glass beads, polystyrene beads, aluminum oxide blast media

Common sandblasting introduction

1. Nylon 6（Click here to view）

• Physical properties:

– Material composition: tiny particles made of nylon 6 (polyamide 6), with low hardness and relatively soft.

– Color and shape: the particles are cylindrical or hexahedral, with rich and diverse colors.

– Durability: good durability, can be used multiple times, and less dust generation.

• Chemical properties:

– High and low temperature resistance, but may deform under extreme high temperatures.

– Corrosion resistance: has a certain degree of corrosion resistance to most chemicals, but the performance may decrease in strong acid and alkali environments.

• Economic benefits:

– Use cost: moderate cost, good durability, and low long-term use cost.

– Production efficiency: high processing efficiency, suitable for large-scale production.

– Environmentally friendly: nylon 6 material can be recycled and has good environmental performance.

– Non-toxic and harmless: safe under normal use conditions and harmless to the human body.

• Functions and Applications:

– Functions: Mainly used for cleaning and light polishing of plastic surfaces, providing good surface treatment without damaging the material.

– Industry Applications: Suitable for sandblasting of various plastics, especially fine cleaning and polishing of plastics such as PP, PE, PS. Commonly used in electronic product housings, automotive interiors, and other plastic parts that require delicate processing.

2. Silica Sand

• Physical properties:

– Material composition: Mainly composed of silicon dioxide (SiO₂), a natural mineral with good hardness and wear resistance.

– Color and shape: light yellow to white, irregular shape, the particle size and shape can be adjusted according to specific needs.

– Durability: wears quickly and needs to be replaced regularly.

• Chemical properties:

– High temperature resistance, suitable for use in high temperature environments.

– It has a certain tolerance to most acid and alkali corrosion, but may be corroded in strong acid and alkali environments.

• Economic benefits:

– Cost of use: The initial cost is low, but it needs to be replaced regularly, and the long-term use cost is moderate.

– Production efficiency: It can quickly process the surface, but due to its abrasiveness, the processing efficiency may decrease with the use time.

– Environmentally friendly: Natural minerals, more environmentally friendly.

– Non-toxic and harmless: Safe under normal use conditions, but dust may irritate the respiratory system.

• Functions and applications:

– Function: Mainly used to remove surface dirt, oxide layer and old coating, suitable for roughening hard materials.

– Industry application: Widely used in sandblasting of hard materials such as metal, glass and ceramics. Plastics are less used, but they can also play a role in roughening the surface of plastics or removing surface coatings.

3. Polystyrene Beads（Click here to view）

• Physical properties:

– Material composition: tiny particles made of synthetic polystyrene material, with low hardness, suitable for processing softer materials.

– Color and shape: usually round, transparent white.

– Durability: good durability, can be used multiple times.

• Chemical properties:

– Resistant to certain high and low temperatures

– Has a certain resistance to chemical corrosion, but may be affected in strong acid and alkali environments.

• Economic benefits:

– Use cost: cheap initial cost, good durability, low long-term use cost.

– Production efficiency: good treatment effect, can improve production efficiency.

– Environmentally friendly: the material is recyclable, but there may be certain environmental impacts during the production process.

– Non-toxic and harmless: safe, non-toxic, and harmless to the human body.

• Functions and applications:

– Function: suitable for fine processing of plastic surfaces to provide smooth and glossy effects.

– Industry applications: used for cleaning and polishing of plastics that require fine processing such as PP, PE, PS, etc. to improve surface finish.

4. Glass Beads

• Physical properties

– Material composition: It is composed of round glass particles, usually silicate glass, with moderate hardness and will not excessively wear the treated surface.

– Color and shape: Transparent or translucent, round.

– Durability: Good durability and can be used many times.

• Chemical properties:

– High and low temperature resistance

– Some resistance to chemical corrosion, but may be affected in strong acid and alkali environments.

• Economic benefits:

– Cost of use: Good durability and low long-term use cost.

– Production efficiency: Provide high-quality surface polishing effect and improve production efficiency.

– Environmentally friendly: Relatively environmentally friendly, glass materials can be recycled and reused.

– Non-toxic and harmless: Safe, non-toxic, and will not cause harm to the human body.

• Functions and applications:

– Function: Mainly used for surface polishing, providing a smooth surface treatment effect.

– Industry application: Widely used for polishing and cleaning of materials such as metals, plastics and concrete, suitable for the processing of PET and PC materials.

 

5. Aluminum oxide blast media

• Physical properties:

– Material composition: particles composed of aluminum and oxygen, very wear-resistant and high hardness.

– Color and shape: white or brown, the shape is mainly irregular, and can also be customized into a spherical shape.

– Durability: extremely durable and can be used many times.

• Chemical properties:

– High and low temperature resistance

– Corrosion resistance: good resistance to most chemical corrosion.

• Economic benefits:

– Cost of use: high initial cost, but due to its durability, the long-term use cost is moderate.

– Production efficiency: can quickly and effectively treat the surface, with high production efficiency.

– Environmentally friendly: the material is recyclable and has good environmental performance.

– Non-toxic and harmless: safe under normal use conditions, non-toxic and harmless.

• Functions and applications:

– Function: used to strongly remove surface dirt, oxide layer and old coating, while increasing surface hardness.

– Industry application: widely used in sandblasting of metals, ceramics and engineering plastics, especially suitable for processing high-hardness plastics such as engineering plastics.

In summary, choosing the right sand blasting media is crucial to the effect of plastic sandblasting. By having a detailed understanding of the physical properties, chemical properties, economic benefits, and functional applications of different media, we can better provide solutions for various plastic processing needs. Each sandblasting medium has its own unique advantages and applicable scenarios, which can bring significant improvements to the surface treatment of plastic products. Therefore, whether you need to improve the smoothness of the plastic surface or enhance its durability, understanding and choosing the right sand blasting media will help you get the best results in different applications.

I hope this article can provide you with valuable insights to help you make smarter choices in plastic sandblasting. The world of plastic sandblasting is far richer than we imagined, let us continue to explore more possibilities brought by this technology！