The sand blasting process of titanium and titanium alloy materials is an important surface treatment technology, the purpose of which is to remove the oxide layer and pollutants on the surface, to improve the surface roughness of the substrate, to enhance the adhesion of the coating, or to give the surface specific physicochemical properties, to improve the mechanical properties of the material and other aspects.
Sandblasting is the use of compressed air or water flow will be abrasive high-speed spray to the surface of titanium alloy, in order to remove the surface of the oxide layer, dirt and impurities, so as to improve the surface roughness and adhesion. This method is commonly used in the surface treatment of titanium castings and forgings to ensure the adhesion effect of subsequent processing or coating.
Blasting is not only used to clean and roughen the surface, but also to improve the microstructure of the material by adjusting the parameters. For example, the grain size of titanium alloys can be reduced to about 44 nanometers by blasting with a diameter of 0.5 to 2 millimeters, which enhances their fatigue tolerance and resistance to stress cracking. In addition, wet blasting technology combined with ultrasonic vibration can extend shot life and increase localized yield strength while reducing surface roughness.
Shot peening has a wide range of applications in medical implants, aerospace and other fields. For example, sandblasting on implant surfaces can increase surface area, promote cell adhesion and proliferation, and improve osseointegration . In the integrated molding of composites and titanium alloys, sandblasting can significantly improve the shear strength, which is conducive to the connection between composites and titanium alloys.
Sandblasting process
1. Dry sandblasting process:- Dry sandblasting is the most common sandblasting process, which uses compressed air as the power to blast abrasive materials (such as quartz sand, diamond sand, iron sand, etc.) onto the surface of the workpiece to achieve the purpose of cleaning, deburring, increasing surface roughness, etc. According to the different parts, different grits are selected to meet the different needs of the workpiece. - According to the different parts, choose different particle size abrasives and compressed air pressure. For example, larger steel parts over 3mm thick may use 2.5-.5mm quartz sand and 0.3~0.5MPa compressed air pressure.
2. Wet blasting process: - Wet blasting is similar to dry blasting, but water is added to the abrasive to form a slurry that reduces dust contamination and lowers the surface temperature of the workpiece. Wet sand blasting is often used in occasions that require a high level of environmental cleanliness.
3. Shot Peening: - Shot peening is similar to sandblasting, but uses a spherical abrasive (such as steel or glass shot) instead of a sandy abrasive. Shot blasting can produce compressive stress, improve the fatigue strength of the parts and resistance to stress corrosion, commonly used in the surface treatment of precision parts.
4. Siphon blasting: - Siphon blasting uses a siphon tube to draw the abrasive into the air stream and is used for surface preparation of small, complex shaped parts.
5. Pressure blasting: - Pressure blasting uses a pressurized container to push out the abrasive material at high speed and is suitable for surface treatment of large areas, with high efficiency, but also with higher requirements for equipment.
6. Wet blasting: - Wet blasting combines water with abrasive material to reduce dust and clean the surface, and is suitable for applications where environmental cleanliness is required.
7. Bead blasting: - Bead blasting uses glass beads to gently clean and polish surfaces and is suitable for fine surfaces such as jewelry and precision instruments.
8. Dry Ice Blasting: - Cleaning with dry ice pellets leaves no residue and is suitable for applications requiring residue-free cleaning, such as food processing equipment. The choice of blasting process depends on the type of material to be treated, the condition of the surface, the purpose of the process and the environmental requirements. Each blasting process has its own unique application scenarios and advantages, and the correct choice of blasting process can greatly improve the efficiency and quality of surface treatment.
