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
Items
glass beads

Glass Beads

glass beads

Glass Beads

glass beads

Glass Beads

glass beads

Glass Beads

glass beads

Glass Beads
Description N/A 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
Material N/A Glass Beads
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.
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.
Designation N/A A N/A AAA N/A B N/A C N/A AA
U.S. Mesh Size N/A 20-30 N/A 25-45 N/A 30-40 N/A 40-60 N/A 40-70
Maximum Nominal Diameter N/A 0.0331 in850 microns N/A 0.0278 in710 microns N/A 0.0234 in600 microns N/A 0.0165 in425 microns N/A 0.0165 in425 microns
Minimum Nominal Diameter N/A 0.0234 in600 microns N/A 0.0139 in355 microns N/A 0.0165 in425 microns N/A 0.0098 in250 microns N/A 0.0083 in212 microns
Minimum Percent Round N/A 65 % N/A 65 % N/A 65 % N/A 75 % N/A 70 %
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 %