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Soda blasting was developed by New York State engineers looking
for ways to clean and restore the Statue of Liberty.
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Soda Blasting |
What is Soda Blasting? Soda blasting is an
environmentally friendly way of removing paint, dirt, coatings, and other
surface contaminants that will not cause damage to the surfaces being cleaned.
Soda blasting is a non-abrasive action. The action of sodium bicarbonate will
not cause heat build up, sparks, or abrasion to the surface being cleaned.
Sodablasting FAQ's |
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Soda blasting was developed by New York State engineers looking for ways to
clean and restore the Statue of Liberty. They had many concerns involving issues
of the environment, waste disposal, and protection of the Statue of Liberty
itself. Use of any abrasive material to clean the surface would have been
harmful to the soft copper plates. Used blast media waste in the surrounding
water was also a concern. Soda blasting was created because it would not only do
the job while having a minimal impact on the waterways and harbor but it was
also non-abrasive.
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How does it work? The sodium bicarbonate used
in the blasting process is a larger particle than the baking soda used in the
food industry, although it is the same purity. The particles (baking soda) are
propelled by compressed air through specialized blasting pots. The blasting
pots use air pressure that can be varied from 20psi on soft surfaces to 120psi
on harder surfaces. The now pressurized sodium bicarbonate particles remove
coatings by the energy released when the particles explode as they contact the
surface being cleaned.
Sand blasting, on the other hand, removes the coatings by wearing it away
(abrasively). This is also the result when the sand hits the base surface being
cleaned; the base surface is worn away and damaged. Sodium bicarbonate has a
non-abrasive action that allows it to be used on surfaces that the currently
popular abrasive media (sand blasting) would damage i.e.: aluminum, stainless
steel, brick, stone, glass, fiberglass, wood, plastic, seals, bearings, splines,
radiator cores, and hydraulic cylinders. Since there is no heat build up warped
metal is eliminated. The non-flammable properties allow sodium bicarbonate to
be used in the petroleum industry where other methods posed a higher risk.
Sodium bicarbonate breaks down hydrocarbons, which makes soda blasting an
excellent method of cleaning engines, engine parts, and other areas where oil
and grease are present.
Another major advantage of soda blasting is that it does not break down the
surface tension of metals, thus the problem of flash rusting is eliminated.
Sodium bicarbonate can act as a rust inhibitor, which will leave a protective
coating on the surface being cleaned. This allows for time to pass before the
surface has to be painted. This is unlike a sand blasted surface that must be
painted immediately. When the time arrives to paint the surface, the protective
coating (soda) can be removed by an application of a vinegar/water mixture.
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