PLEASE NOTE: These bulletins, published since 1997, are historical. The content is not updated.
Last week, the LinkUp program of the King County Commission for Marketing Recyclable Materials sponsored a demonstration of the use of recycled glass as a sandblasting medium. At the Renton Wastewater Treatment plant, Long's Painting demonstrated "Vitrogrit" recycled glass for graffiti removal from a concrete jersey barrier; epoxy, vinyl, and coal tar from a steel plate; and paint on steel, aluminum, and concrete.
Recycled Glass Sandblasting Abrasives
Glass does not contain the "free silica" found in conventional blasting sand, nor the toxic heavy metals found in some other media and is safer for workers and the environment. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) report Evaluation of Substitute Materials for Silica Sand in Abrasive Blasting: "In order to reduce the airborne concentrations of the eleven hazardous health-related agents, consider the use of crushed glass..."
In addition to worker safety benefits, crushed glass works better for sandblasting thick or soft coatings, aluminum, brass, bright metal, and "spot and sweep" applications. Because of its light weight, it is good for remote operations and, because glass is less dense than other sandblasting media, it will often be possible to use fewer pounds of material, saving money.
The demonstrators said glass is not as effective for tough, hard surfaces, tight, thick mill scale, or heavy pack rust, but performs on par with standard media for most coating removal, rust removal, hulls, tanks, and superstructure.
Please consult the following resources to find out more.
Case study:
Reports:
Testing and Certification of Industrial Abrasives Manufactured from Recycled Glass (technology brief)
Testing and Certification of Industrial Abrasives Manufactured From Recycled Glass (full report)
Vendor:
- TriVitro Corporation
- 18420 68th Ave. S #101
Kent, WA 98032
Phone: (425)251-8340- E-mail: mailto: info@trivitro.com
Abrasive blasting material - VitrogritLinkUp Program:
King County LinkUp Program: Working with manufacturers to use more recycled materials
Special thanks to the Marketing Commission, Scientific Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Long's Painting and TriVitro for this demonstration.
Environmental Purchasing Program
The King County Environmental Purchasing Program assists County agencies in implementation of King County Executive Policy CON-7-1-2, which requires agencies to use recycled and other environmentally preferable products wherever practicable.
The program assembles information about these products and makes it available to specific agency users who can evaluate them and develop applications in County projects.
These environmental purchasing bulletins contain information about the results of product evaluations and other accomplishments of County agencies. We hope this information will help you find ways to use recycled materials in the work of your agency and that you will contact us if we can help you with further information or if you have suggestions.
Environmental Purchasing Program King County Procurement Services Division
Published: July 6, 2000
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