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Performance comparison of cast steel shot vs. stainless cut wire on stainless steel bar stock

We are a specialty steel plant looking to eliminate acid pickling operation in our facility. We currently acid pickle (HCl, Nitric, Nitric-HF) our stainless bar stock to remove any remnant mill scale after rolling and annealing and also any iron residue from shot blasting. We currently use a wheel blast machine with cast steel shot.

I would like opinion on how to go about evaluating performance of alternative blast media to eliminate iron residue and any imbedded shot in the sub surface of product we produce. Are there any stainless steel manufacturers that have been successful in eliminating acid pickling through mechanical scale and iron residue removal? I would appreciate any feedback anyone has to offer. Thanks.

Ram K. Kondapi, CPE
- Syracuse, New York
2006

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There are a lot of alternative abrasive media supplies that could possible do the job. Which one is more cost effective depends on the results you are looking for. There are also mechanical methods that might work also. There is not enough info to narrow down which might be better. It sounds like you are not just selling mill products.

AF Kenton
retired business owner - Hatboro, Pennsylvania
2006

Ram, Many users have realized reduced overall costs for cleaning mill scales by using Stainless cut wire shot. Typically a Stainless cut wire will last 20-30x as long as a cast steel shot in a lab cycle test machine. Added to this advantage, is the mill product will be metallurgically cleaner from blasting with stainless cut wire shot and may not need passivation afterwards.

Tim Deakin
North Tonawanda, New York
2006