The Benefits of Soda Blasting

Since soda is not as abrasive or as hard of a blast media it will not alter the substrate of the product you are sandblasting but it will strip any existing paints or even rust from the surface of the product.  Not altering the surface of the product, you are sandblasting is useful when you may be trying to only clean a surface but not leave impact marks.  Common applications where this is beneficial include blast cleaning cars, car frames, plastics, and other delicate materials. 

An additional benefit to soda blasting is that you can use it in cleaning food grade products.  Since baking soda is not a harmful chemical and is often used as a part of a cooking process, soda blasting offers an option for blasting a product without concern of food contamination. 

Finally, since baking soda media absorbs well it can also be a very effective blast media to clean off greasy parts like engines and similar applications where you are primarily trying to remove oil or grease without altering the underlying products surface.

The limitations of Soda Blasting

While not profiling the underlying surface can be helpful when you are trying to remove contaminant without changing the underlying area there are situations where this is not ideal. First is if you need a surface profile.  Certain paints require a surface profile so that the coating system specified by the paint company you are working with will adhere to the surface effectively for a long time.  To achieve a surface profile, you typically need a blast media like coal slag, steel, or even glass blast media.  If you do not properly profile a surface prior to applying the proper coating to the surface, you can experience coating failure where the paint fails to bond to the surface and provide the protection it is supposed to.

A second situation where soda blasting may not be ideal is when you need to remove contaminants that are hard to remove.  Many times, with older painted products or coating systems that are highly durable the paint that remains on the surface of the product can be difficult to remove as it has formed a strong bond.  Soda blasting will not typically remove coating that is strongly adhered to a surface or if it will it will take a long time.

Most Common Soda Blasting Applications

  • engine parts
  • oil pumps
  • fiberglass components
  • aircraft parts
  • delicate substrates

Ultimately soda blasting can be a great solution for stripping surfaces or cleaning dirty surfaces from grease or oil.  Using a soda blaster provides a variety of solutions for stripping but not profiling a surface and can be used with food safe items.

Pros of Soda Blasting

Eco-Friendly — This kind of blasting is eco-friendly; this is generally used when soda blasting is bi-carbonate of soda. 
Rust Inhibitor — It also efficiently inhibits rust because the powdery film that remains after soda blasting inhibits ‘flash rust’ and eliminate the requirement of an immediate coating. 
Non-Abrasive — Bicarbonate of soda is quite soft that contains only 2.4 on the Mohs scale of hardness. During the soda blasting, the soda crystals explodes when contacting with the substrate, and this reaction helps in removing the surface contaminant effectively without damaging the substrate. 
Non-Toxic — It is also non-toxic in nature; sodium bicarbonate is a major component of human body. It is being endorsed many bigger authorities due to its safe use. 
Doesn’t Produce Heat — Soda blasting doesn’t generate any kind of heat that means it will not distort or warp the object that is being treated.

Cons of Soda Blasting

Alkaline Properties — Soda is known to be slightly alkaline and it can harm the nearby plants and vegetation, if it is not properly rinsed off after the treatment. 
May Collect inside Crevices — You need to pay special attention to rinse out the corners and crevices of the items treated before you apply the finish. 
Surface Profile — Sometimes during the manufacturing of a metal object, the surface needs to be profiled properly in order to adhere the finished coating. Soda basting fails to create a surface profile due to its nonabrasive hardness.