Brown
fused alumina
BROWN FUSED ALUMIA (SHORT: BFA)
Since 2010 we have been active in the sandblasting production industry in China. Some examples of what we have been doing:
- Developing new products / different qualities
- Improving production methods
- Implementing quality systems
- Training people
End users include:
- • Vehicle manufacturers
- • Oil platform and pipes producers
- • HQ metal components factories
More information regarding our experiences in this industry can be found in our Business Cases section.
WHAT IS BFA?
One of the most widely used blasting media, refractory, or abrasive, worldwide is BFA (Brown Fused Alumina).
WHAT IS BFA USED FOR?
Production. After it is mined from bauxite mines, it is calcined, then fused at high temperatures, and finally crushed, grinded, and sieved, so the end results are tiny grits (which look like sand).
BFA SERVES THREE MAIN APPLICATIONS / INDUSTRIES
- Blasting media
- Refractory material
- Abrasives
BLASTING MEDIA
Blasting media or abrasive grit, is used to clean and prepare surfaces prior to applying coatings or to produce a desired surface profile. Final coating quality very much depends on how well the surface was prepared.
- Blasting media, such as brown or white aluminum oxide, is an abrasive grit that is blasted through a wet or dry pressure blasting
system. The process of abrasive blasting, or grit blasting, removes the
containments and unwanted substances from the piece’s surface in
order to produce a clean surface that will promote adhesion to the
final coating. - The end product is very tiny grits. The size of the grits can vary
significantly, from rather fine sizes such as a grit of 45 μ (micron) to
25000 μ (= 25 mm).
REFRACTORY
BFA 2nd main purpose is as refractory material. A refractory material is one that retains its strength at high temperatures (e.g. used in high temperature furnaces). ASTM C71 defines refractories as “non-metallic materials having those chemical and physical properties that make them applicable for structures, or as components of systems, that are exposed to environments above 1,000 °F (811 K; 538 °C)”.
ABRASIVES
Refined BFA grits are also used for the production of grinding wheels, sandpaper, sanding discs due to the hardness (9 Mohs) properties of BFA.
