Terms
Glass Beads are considered a more delicate blasting media that is best used at lower pressures. It is spherical in shape and will provide a nice matte finish. It will not impregnate its particles into the surface that is being blasted.

Uses: cleaning, finishing, peening
Unit of Measure

Specifications

Material

N/A Glass Beads

Designation

N/A AG

U.S. Mesh Size

N/A 120-270

Maximum Nominal Diameter

N/A 0.0041 in106 microns

Minimum Nominal Diameter

N/A 0.0021 in53 microns

Minimum Percent Round

N/A 85 %

Typical Applications

N/A Cleaning:

  • Cleans and preps the surface of metal parts without changing tolerances, or imparting ferrous pollutants.
  • Combines cleaning, finishing and peening in one operation.
Finishing:
  • Creates a wide range of unique surface finishes that are easy to reproduce.
  • Blends machine marks, seals pores and the results offer the advantages of glass bead peening.
Peening:
  • Reduces the tensile stress in metal parts, increasing the fatigue limit.
  • Reduces stress corrosion cracking.
Debarring:
  • Removes burrs without damaging the parts and offers a peened surface in one operation.

Glass Bead Facts

Coarse Beads

N/A Remove larger, tougher soils; Peen to more intense levels; Peen to deeper zones in surface; Produce higher surface RA; Produce brighter surface; Consume faster at same pressure as fine beads; In practice, may consume slower than fine beads.

Fine Beads

N/A Remove smaller, lighter soil; More impacts per pound; Clean faster; Peen to less intense levels; Peen outer zones of surfaces; Reach into keyway; fillets and small areas; Produce lower surface RA; Produce matte finish; Consume slower at same pressure as coarse beads; In practice, may consume faster than coarse beads.

All Beads

N/A Contain no free silica (environmentally friendly); Recycle many times;
Clean efficiently at 45º- 60º nozzle angle.

Bead size, shape of workpiece, angle of nozzle, distance of nozzle to surface area, air pressure, and type of delivery system (suction versus direct pressure blast) are factors affecting final surface appearance and media consumption parameters.

Physical Properties

Shape

N/A Spherical

Color

N/A Clear

Hardness

N/A 0.515 kg/mm²

Comprehensive Strength

N/A 36000 psi

Density

N/A 2.5 g/cc

Specific Gravity

N/A 2.45-2.50

Free Silica Content

N/A 0 %