GMA Garnet™ Blast Abrasives

The GMA advantage

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Hardness

The harder the abrasive, the better it cuts. GMA’s garnet is of the almandine variety — the hardest form of garnet.

The garnet grains are up to 30% harder than other garnets and nearly 300% harder than coal slag, giving it a higher relative resistance for abrading a surface and resulting in faster blast rates and higher cutting speeds.

Toughness

GMA Garnet™ is less friable, meaning it does not fracture or shatter upon impact when blasting or cutting. GMA Garnet™ is up to 100% tougher than other garnets and up to 500% tougher than coal slag.

This toughness means it produces less dust in abrasive blasting and leaves more recoverable and recyclable abrasive after use.

Density

A heavier, denser abrasive grain delivers more kinetic energy to abrade or cut a material. GMA Garnet™ is up to 20% denser than other garnets, and 60% denser than coal slag.

This produces a deeper, more consistent anchor profile in abrasive blasting, and it achieves a consistent flow and cutting speed at every stage of the waterjet cutting process.

Angularity

The angularity of the abrasive grain affects the cut speed and quality, as well as the consistency of the surface. GMA Garnet™ is subangular, the ideal particle shape to achieve high production rates, high surface quality and minimal dust, fracturing or embedment on impact.

A sharp, highly angular grain will cut quickly but leave an inconsistent surface and have a higher risk of shattering on impact or embedding into the surface. A rounded grain will create a consistent surface but at much lower productivity, requiring more abrasive to complete the task (or in some cases, not being able to complete the task to specification).

Why is GMA Garnet™ the preferred sandblasting media?

Surface Quality

GMA Garnet™ creates the required surface profile with minimal embedment or contamination, and produces higher peak density.

High Productivity

It reduces your costs with significantly higher blast production rates, giving you shorter project time lines.

Reduced Consumption

Lowers your abrasive consumption by 30-50%, giving you savings in abrasive purchase costs, as well as transport, storage and disposal costs.

Safety

Garnet is a chemically inert mineral, with little to no heavy metals creating worker health and safety risks or environmental contamination.

Less Dust

GMA Garnet™ fractures less on impact, drastically improving operator visibility and reducing site contamination.

Sustainable

The garnet recovery programs offer a cost-effective and environmentally responsible solution for the disposal of used garnet.

View the GMA Garnet™ Difference

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