Soda cleaning - machines and technology

How to remove pitting, chipping varnish and paint from metal or wooden surfaces? Do-it-yourselfers usually use solvents, sandpaper or wire brushes for this purpose. Professional renovation and maintenance, however, require the use of more precise technologies, such as soda blasting. What is it and what are soda blasters?

What is soda sandblasting?

Sandblasting is a technological process that takes its name from sand - one of the most popular types of abrasives. Soda blasting (otherwise: soda blasting) is a form of non-contact abrasive blasting, in which the abrasive is not sand, but sodium bicarbonate, i.e. baking soda.

Soda blasting is carried out with the use of special machines, soda blasters. They are equipped with an abrasive tank and a nozzle from which, after starting the machine, soda granules fly out under pressure. Particles of sodium bicarbonate, like bullets, hit the corroded, painted or glued surface with great force. After just a few seconds of exposure to soda, there are no traces of paint or rust on it. Cleaned coatings can be re-impregnated or painted over.

Technical soda for sandblasters

To be able to perform soda blasting, you need to choose the right abrasive. Soda makers use sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO ₃ ). It is nothing more than cooking soda, available e.g. in home kitchens. What properties does this substance have? It is a white, odorless and crystalline powder that works on the surface - whitens, cleanses and refreshes without harming the environment.

Large amounts of technical baking soda are needed for cleaning machines. The raw material (25 kg and in larger packages) can now be purchased from chemical wholesalers and online stores. When buying, it is worth paying attention to whether the seller has a product quality certificate and whether the technical sodium bicarbonate contains an anti-caking agent.

Soda sandblasting - machines and devices

Sandblasting technology is still developing, new, efficient machines and devices are being created. Sandblasters available on the market are divided into:

• universal models, adapted to throw various abrasive materials: sand, soda, corundum, micro glass beads, slag, etc.,
• a soda maker, i.e. a machine adapted only to work with soda.

Soda blasters can also be:

• stationary (industrial) or portable,
• dust and dust-free,
• cabin and injector machines (with an injector dispenser, enabling a dynamic flow of liquid abrasive).

Application of sand blasting machines

Soda blasting using specialized abrasive blasting machines is a simple way to maintain and clean a variety of coatings. What are the main applications of soda sandblasters? They can be cleaned:

• building facade,
• mossy or devastated graffiti wall, fence, gate, underpinning,
• rusty rims,
• tombstones,
• corroded door sills and chassis of vehicles (including vintage cars and motorcycles).

Sand blasters are also useful for the maintenance of steel structures, stamps, machines and construction tools.

Soda plating works well in the renovation of historic wood. Sodium bicarbonate, applied under pressure, effectively removes paint and varnish from old doors, furniture, thresholds and ceilings. Sodium abrasive will clean plastic, PVC, sheet metal and stone.

Soda cleaning machines: prices

You can now find soda cleaning machines in specialist shops for both private and commercial use. The cheapest mobile sandblasters with the option of soda blasting available in Poland cost less than PLN 1,000. So it is not a big expense, considering that properly maintained, these machines serve for years.

Industrial soda makers, used in industry and production, cost from a dozen to even several hundred thousand zlotys in the case of models made to order. These efficient, high-end machines are adapted to intensive work and mass processing of large or complex surfaces. The most modern and the most expensive models of sandblasters are equipped with transport rails, dust-free cabins and closed abrasive circuits.

What are the advantages of soda blasting?

Cleaning machines, furniture and construction elements with soda has many advantages. The most important of them is that, unlike sand, soda is an abrasive that is 100% safe for people and the environment. It is a natural raw material that does not damage the lungs, does not cause pneumoconiosis or contamination of internal organs. It is an excellent alternative to sand, which creates harmful dust, dangerous to humans.

Commercially available soda blasters can work at high and low pressure, and during operation they do not generate waste. In addition, soda blasting allows you to obtain uniform, smooth surfaces and remove difficult, greasy stains from metal or wood. Soda does not leave discoloration, any residues can be removed with water. Cleaning soda, released under pressure, facilitates precise cleaning of even hard-to-reach places, hinges, corners and decorative details.