Disadvantages of Wet Blasting

Even though wet blasting has a lot of advantages, there are also some disadvantages. This article will list some main disadvantages of wet blasting.

1.     Water consumption

The wet blasting method needs to mix the water with an abrasive before hitting the surface, there is a huge amount of water required while a wet abrasive. Thus, an amount of valuable water resource is consumed during wet blasting, If the target project is hard to clean and need a longer time, it requires to use of more water.

2.     Water mist

Wet blasting does not increase visibility while reducing airborne dust. The spray of water hits the surface and bounces back which creates a water mist that could also affect the visibility of workers.

3.     Higher cost

Wet blasting is more expensive to start than dry blasting. This is because wet blasting not only requires a sandblast pot but also needs water pumping, mixing, and reclamation systems. Wet blasting requires more equipment; therefore increases the costs of buying new equipment.

4.     Flash rusting

After using the wet blasting method, people only have a short amount of time to apply a protective coating on the surface. This is because exposure to water and oxygen increases the rate of surface erosion. To prevent the surface starts corroding, the surface must be quickly and sufficiently air-dried after wet blasting. In place of preventing the surface starts corroding, people can choose to use a rust inhibitor which can help slow the blasted surface from flash rusting. Even with the rust inhibitor, the blasted surface still has less time before putting the protective coating on. And the surface still needs to be completely dried before painting.

5.     Wet waste

After wet blasting, the water and wet abrasive need to be cleaned. Depending on the blasted surface and the abrasive media, the waste can be more difficult to remove than dry abrasive. It would be challenging to retain the water and wet abrasive.

Conclusion

The disadvantages of wet blast system include the waste of water, the higher costs, certain application limitations, and it is difficult to contain blast media and water. Therefore, people should think carefully before they start blasting.