Overview
Known for its natural hardness, durability and abrasive characteristics, GMA Garnet is composed of natural Almandite garnet grains that meet all Occupational Health and Safety requirements, as well as being environmentally inert.

GMA Garnet provides a perfect symbiosis of grain size, density and hardness/durability ensuring optimum abrasive efficiency in terms of lowest abrasive consumption and highest production rates at safe environmental and health conditions.

It is a cost effective alternative to silica sand, mineral slags and steel grits and shot due to low consumption (kg/m2) and high productivity (m2/hr) and the superior toughness and low friability enables it to be recycled 5 -10 times depending on the application.

Mined by the world's largest producer of industrial garnet in Western Australia, GMA Garnet is processed to highest quality standards in respect of mineral purity and meets the stringent requirements of ISO 11126-10:2000E for chloride and free silica content. It is free of metallic iron making it suitable for all areas of surface preparation including stainless steel, anti-magnetic steel and all special alloys. Special fine grades of GMA Garnet are also available for aluminium, turbine blades, fibreglass and other specialist surface preparation applications.

GMA Garnet is used and approved by major oil companies, shipyards as well as large and small clients around the world and approved by major paint manufacturers. GMA Garnet is available through an extensive network of dedicated and professional distributors with strategic stockpiles globally. 

Surface Preparation Applications
GMA Garnet is well suited to most fields of surface preparation industry, with or without subsequent coatings in particular:

 Bridge and weir lock.

 Building and structural steel.

 Construction and maintenance of chemical plants, nuclear and fossil power stations, gas and sewerage plants, desalination and industrial plants.

 Construction and maintenance of containers and tanks, tank trucks and rail tanks, wagons and coaches.

 Non-ferrous surfaces and turbine blades (special mesh).

 Oil and petrochemical maintenance in refineries and storage tanks including on-shore and off-shore installations.

 Shipyards, new building, conversion and repair including antimagnetic and other special steels as well as aluminium super structures and aluminium and fibreglass hulls.

 Stainless Steel.

 Stone building facades and monuments.

Advantages Over Other Abrasives

Cost-effective Blast Cleaning
GMA Garnet is a more cost-effective solution over other abrasives. Check out the cost benefits using our Blasting Cost Comparison Calculator at www.garnetsales.com 

Low Dusting
Blast cleaning using GMA Garnet provides significantly lower dust emissions due to its inherent material toughness and rapid settling as a result of high specific gravity. This ensures minimum disruption and danger to adjoining operations and improved operator visibility and safety.

High Productivity
Very fast cutting is achieved with speed, large number and shape of grains impacting on the surface. The acceleration and speed of a grain in an air stream is a function of the inertia and hence the size of the grain. Smaller grains accelerate much more readily and impart higher impact energy to surfaces resulting in a superior cleaning rate - usually twice the m2/hr of conventional abrasives.

Low Consumption
The unique grain size ensures that there are many more active grains impacting the surface and this greatly reduces abrasive consumption.

Superior Surface Quality
GMA Garnet grains clean deep into the cavities and pitted areas down to the bare metal, thoroughly removing all rust, soluble salts and other contaminations. The blasted surface is free of embedment and rogue peaks and troughs. SA3 White Metal is effortlessly achieved. A surface profile of 50 - 75 microns is also easily achieved along with a much greater number of peaks per unit area.

Improved Health and Safety and Environment
GMA Garnet is non-toxic with no silicosis hazard or risk of contamination from leachable heavy metals or radioactive substances. Lower consumption and recyclability enables greatly reduced disposal volumes.

Recyclability
GMA Garnet is suitable for multiple usages and can be recycled 5 times or more without losing its superior cutting ability. Special GMA Garnet recycling systems are available upon request. These add up to natural, clean and cost effective blasting.

Surface Cleanliness
The ability of a paint system to adhere to the substrate and resist corrosion is determined by the cleanliness and profile of the substrate. Use of GMA Garnet as recommended provides the highest quality with the following benefits:

 Even Profile: The shape and size of GMA Garnet grains provides an even profile of 50 - 75 microns (controlled by blast pressure and air flow) ensuring maximum surface area and number of peaks (reactive sites) for enhanced bonding. The use of GMA Garnet totally eliminates rogue peaks and troughs leading to a direct reduction in paint amount needed.

 Low Dust: GMA Garnet lowers dust emissions and dust incidences on the workpiece providing reduced cleaning after blasting and less contamination of the work area.

 Improved Surface Cleanliness: There is almost no embedment on the substrate as the scouring action of the natural GMA Garnet grains removes all salts, corrosion and contaminants from within deeply corroded and pitted areas. It meets all international specifications for chlorides and silica (ISO 11126-10:2000E).