Aluminum Oxide - Stabilized?

A couple of months ago I put a post explaining some of the basics of Aluminum Oxide Grit. What I did not mention was that the ore that is used as the source for Aluminum Oxide is sourced from around the world. While a lot of the crude material is actually refined and processed in the US, it still needs to be shipped around the world.

Increasing crude costs mostly due to increased demand from developing countries (read: China) have combined perfectly with increasing shipping costs and the decreasing US dollar to produce price increases like we have never seen. In some cases, the cost to source, ship, refine and package Aluminum Oxide has doubled in the past couple of years.

Fortunately, it seems that some of the cost pressures are stabilizing so that pricing for Aluminum Oxide may soon fall back into the historical pricing pattern. I only hope that is sooner rather than later.

Soda Blasting

Soda blasting is a specialty process that is used for applications where surface 'sensitivity' is critical. Soda (actually sodium bicarbonate or baking soda) blast media is a very soft media that can be used for stripping on a variety of surfaces including thin metals, aluminum, fiberglass, wood and glass without causing warping, etching or pitting. Many abrasive blasting media can also be used for these applications but different types may be needed for different applications.

The major reasons that soda blasting is not more popular include the cost of the media itself, the non-recyclability of the media (it can only be used once) and the requirement for specialty blasting equipment.

Baking soda (and anyone with a box in their refrigerator know this) absorbs all kinds of things including moisture very quickly. Super dry air is a necessity for soda blasting. Air driers and chillers also add to the difficulty and cost of soda blasting.