Wet blasting, liquid honing, vapor honing, dustless blasting, or slurry blasting is another frequent name for vapor blasting.

Inside of a Wet Blast Cabinet

Using pressurized water and abrasive blast media, wet blasting—also known as vapor blasting—is a method for eliminating pollutants from a surface—or completing a surface.

Before being driven through a blast nozzle, the abrasive media is mixed with water and pressured in a pressure pot then combined with compressed air. Most people know this method as slurry blasting. (A slurry is the mixture of blast media and water).

Benefits of Wet Blasting

Wet blasting’s main benefit over conventional dry blasting is it generates a surface’s finer polish. The water removes the abrasive, so the blasted surface does not get impregnant. Every sediment or remaining abrasive media is cleaned away. This produces a cleaner surface.

If you have a surface you wish to preserve, vapor blasting is advised. One step clean, de-grease, and blast a surface with a slurry blaster or vapor blasting cabinet. Over conventional dry abrasive blasting, this save much time.

Using significantly finer abrasive media with wet blasting also makes sense since the water is a better carrier for fine mesh abrasives than compressed air.

Differences Between Dry and Vapor blasting

Generally speaking, vapor blasting is far less harsh than dry abrasive blasting. The abrasive finds cushion in the water. The abrasive in conventional dry sandblasting affects the surface and then breaks into smaller bits producing dust.

Wet blasting uses the water as a dampener. The broken particles in the abrasive land within the water as it strikes the blasted surface. Either a sink basin or another container gathers the used media.

Dry blasting and vapor blasting vary also in another important way. Under dry blasting, the abrasive impacts at an angle to create a deep anchor profile. The water cushions the impact in wet blasting, therefore distributing the surface profile in a feathered pattern more evenly. This lets the blasting process be more refined.

How Vapor Blasting Functions

Typically in outdoor dustless blasting, compressed air drives the abrasive. Either a second hose will deliver water to the blast nozzle (water injection), or it will form a halo of water that reduces some of the dust generated by blasting (water ring or water halo).

Water and abrasive material are combined in a pressurized container in a slurry blast cabinet then driven at an object within the enclosure. For cleaning or stripping things like engine components or aluminum wheels, this works well.

Certain outdoor dustless blasting systems mix the water and abrasive together in a slurry, pressured in a vessel using either compressed air or water to provide the pressure. The slurry is then blasted hose air flow injected into.

Abrasive Media for Use in Dustless Blasting

Though glass beads, or a combination of sodium bicarbonate and fine glass beads are usually utilized for wet blasting inside a blast cabinet, any form of blast media can be used.

Crushed glass, Green Diamond nickel slag, copper slag, or crushed glass can be used for outdoor wet blasting.

Use Cases for Wet Blasting Practically

Wet blasting fits quite a range of applications.

Automobile / Motorcycle
Both before and after slurry wet blaster auto components

Cleaning oil, corrosion, factory coatings, or other pollutants from used auto or motorcycle parts naturally calls for vapor blasting. With wet blasting, the cleaning and stripping process proceeds fast; the finish is significantly softer. By the end of the process, aluminum, chrome, or steel surfaces have a satin-like gloss.

Practical Uses for Vapor Blasting

When an abrasive slams into a blasted surface in dry sandblasting, the abrasive particles break into smaller particulates and dust. Static electric charge inherent in this abrasive grit can produce dry sparks. Sandblasting amid combustible gases or materials increases the risk of fire or explosion.

Wet dustless blasting nevertheless leaves a tiny risk of sparks arising from the dust particles. But they are cool sparks, hence the likelihood of explosion is much lowered.

Sensitive Surfaces for Vapor Blasting

Some jobs where conventional sandblasting would be too damaging to the substrate to be useful are those related to There are occasions when it is more desired since you can wet blast using softer media and a less PSI. These cover cleaning up fire damage, wood restoration, historical or antique repair, and graffiti removal.

Urban Settings or Outdoor Construction

Regulations on airborne dust make many times the best option for wet blasting. Most of the dust generated by outdoor abrasive blasting is suppressed by the water, so dust control becomes less of a problem.

Soft metal vapor blasting

Standard dry blasting generates frictional heat on the blasted surface. This can lead to unwelcome deformation for weaker metals. For blasting either aluminum or stainless steel, wet blasting is a superior option since it cools the frictional heat from abrasive blasting.

Aerospace Engineering and Technology
In engineering, vapor blasting is commonly used to remove carbon deposits, oxidation, paint, and other impurities. It is also frequently used in peening and cleaning aircraft surfaces and parts.

The Evolution of Wet Blasting

England pioneered vapor blasting initially during World War II. Before assembly into jet engines, Rolls-Royce developed this method to peen and polish the surface of turbine blades.

England outlawed crystalline silica in 1950 after sandblasting workers developed silicosis, an incurable respiratory disease. Norman Ashworth started working on the first wet blasters later in the 1950s. Dustless blasting was about to dawn here.
Many European countries followed England’s lead in 1966 and outlawed sandblasting with crystalline silica due of health concerns.

Europe pioneered outdoor wet blasting systems in the 1970s and through the 1990s. From the 2000s on, wet blasting has seen a comeback in popularity and creativity.