A GUIDE TO BLASTING NOZZLE SELECTION

Choosing the right blast nozzle for each application is simply a matter of understanding
the variables that affect cleaning performance and job costs. There are four basic questions
to answer for optimum cost/performance.

WHAT BLAST PATTERN DO YOU

WANT?

A nozzles bore shape determines its

blast pattern. Nozzles generally have
either a straight bore or a restricted,
venturi bore. Straight Bore nozzles
(Figure 1, Number 1) create a tight blast
pattern for spot blasting or blast cabinet
work. These are best for smaller jobs
such as parts cleaning, weld seam shaping, cleaning handrails, steps, grillwork,
or carving stone and other materials.
Venturi bore nozzles (Figure 1,
Numbers 2 and 3) create a wide blast
pattern and increase abrasive velocity
as much as 100% for a given pressure.
Venturi nozzles are the best choice for
greater productivity when blasting larger
surfaces. Long venturi style nozzles like
the BRUISER blasting nozzles, for
example, yield about a 40% increase in
productivity compared to straight bore
nozzles, while abrasive consumption
can be cut approximately 40%.
Double venturi and wide throat nozzles
are enhanced versions of the long
venturi style nozzle.
The double venturi style (Figure 1,
Number 4) can be thought of as two
nozzles in series with a gap and holes in
between to allow the insertion of
atmospheric air into the downstream
segment of the nozzle. The exit end is
also wider than a conventional nozzle.
Both modifications are made to increase
the size of the blast pattern and minimize the loss of abrasive velocity.

FIGURE 1. NOZZLE TYPES

1. Straight bore
2. Conventional design long venturi
3. Laminar flow design long venturi
4. Double venturi
5. High pressure

1
Exit End

Throat
Section

Full Length Straight Bore

Standard Size
Exit End

Long Tapered
Converging End

Diverging End

Flat Straight
Section

Conventional
Opening Exit End

Converging End

Diverging End

Smooth Transition
Throat

4
Converging
End

Nozzle
Throat

Atmospheric
Air Entry

Nozzle
Section A

Large Opening
Exit End

Nozzle
Section B

5
Converging
End

Distinctively Large
Exit End Opening

Diverging End

CAN YOUR COMPRESSED AIR

SUPPLY SUPPORT THE NOZZLE?

As a general rule, the air supply system

should be able to provide at least 50%
more air volume (cfm) than a new nozzle would need to develop the required
working blasting pressure, whether that
is 100 psi or 140 psi. This ensures a nozzle can continue to provide good service
even after it is slightly worn. Remember,
though, excessive wear should not be
allowed or productivity decreases
dramatically.
Keep in mind, too, the nozzle entry
throat must match the inside diameter of
your air supply hose. The wrong size
combination can lead to wear points,
pressure drop, and excessive internal
turbulence.

1 min 18 sec

54 sec

1 min 29 sec

Its also a good idea to have angle nozzles available for tight spots like bridge
lattice, behind flanges, or inside pipes.
Many operators waste abrasive and time
waiting for ricochet to get the job done.
The little time it takes to switch to an
angle nozzle is always quickly recovered and total time on the job is reduced.

1 min 23 sec

Wide throat nozzles (Figure 1, Number

5) feature a large entry throat and a large,
diverging exit bore. When matched with
the same sized hose they can provide a
15% increase in productivity over nozzles with a smaller throat. When wide
throat nozzles also feature a larger
diverging exit bore (e.g., BAZOOKA
nozzle), they can be used at higher
pressures to yield up to a 60% larger
pattern with lower abrasive use.

Time Required to Clean a Given Test Area

FIGURE 2. NOZZLE PERFORMANCE COMPARISON

Control Venturi
TLVE-6

Wide Throat
T-159-6

Double Venturi
T-125-6

Bazooka
T-159-6VP

3 in.

3 in.

3 in.

4 in.

15

13

14

11

Size of Blast Pattern

(Nozzle-to-Surface
Distance,18 in.)
Av. Back Pressure (lbs.)

Data compares the time required of different nozzles to clean a given test area based on the
nozzles blast pattern. Also shown is the average back pressure exerted by each nozzle, an
indicator of the effect of nozzle selection on operator fatigue.
MATCHING NOZZLE SIZE AND COMPRESSOR SIZE FOR REQUIRED PRODUCTION RATE

Production
Blast
Production
Production
Production
rate required nozzle rate at 100 psi rate at 90 psi
rate at 80 psi
(sq. ft./hr) orifice nozzle pressure nozzle pressure nozzle pressure
Up to 100
101-160
161-230
231-317
318-400

1/4"
5/16"
3/8"
7/16"
1/2"

100
160
230
317
400

85
136
195
270
340

70
112
161
222
280

Compressor size
CFM at 100 psi
nozzle pressure
185 cfm 40-50 h.p.
250 cfm 60-75 h.p.
375 cfm 75-100 h.p.
450 cfm 125 h.p.
600 cfm 150 h.p.

This chart is estimated and based upon use of a long venturi nozzle, SSPC-6 commercial blast specification.

NOZZLE PRESSURE, ABRASIVE VELOCITY AND EFFICIENCY

Blast Nozzle Pressure

Estimated Abrasive Velocity

Estimated Efficiency Factor

140 psi
125 psi
110 psi
100 psi
95 psi
90 psi
85 psi
80 psi
75 psi
70 psi

588 mph
525 mph
462 mph
420 mph
400 mph
365 mph
330 mph
270 mph
210 mph
190 mph

160%
138%
115%
100%
93%
85%
78%
70%
63%
55%

NOZZLE AIR AND PRESSURE REQUIREMENTS

NOZZLE PRESSURE PSI (BAR)
NOZZLE
ORIFICE
1/8 inch
(3.2 mm)

3/16 inch
(4.8 mm)

1/4 inch
(6.35 mm)

5/16 inch
(8 mm)

3/8 inch
(9.5 mm)

7/16 inch
(11 mm)

1/2 inch
(12.7 mm)

5/8 inch
(16 mm)

3/4 inch
(19 mm)

AIR, POWER,
AND ABRASIVE
REQUIREMENTS
AIR (cu ft/min)
(cu m/min)

50
(3.45)

60
(4.14)

70
(4.83)

80
(5.52)

90
(6.21)

100
(6.89)

125
(8.62)

12
(0.34)

13
(0.37)

15
(0.42)

18
(0.51)

19
(0.54)

21
(0.59)

26
(0.74)

HORSEPOWER
(hp) (kW)

1.75
(1.30)

2
(1.49)

2.5
(1.86)

3
(2.24)

3.5
(2.61)

4
(2.98)

6
(4.47)

ABRASIVE
(lb/hr) (kg/hr)

70
(32)

80
(36)

90
(41)

100
(45)

110
(50)

120
(54)

135
(61)

AIR (cu ft/min)

(cu m/min)

25
(0.71)

30
(0.85)

35
(0.99)

40
(1.13)

43
(1.22)

45
(1.27)

60
(1.70)

HORSEPOWER
(hp) (kW)

5
(3.73)

8
(5.97)

9
(6.71)

9.5
(7.08)

10
(7.46)

10.5
(7.83)

16
(11.93)

ABRASIVE
(lb/hr) (kg/hr)

150
(68)

170
(77)

200
(91)

215
(98)

240
(109)

260
(118)

320
(145)

AIR (cu ft/min)

(cu m/min)

50
(1.42)

55
(1.56)

60
(1.70)

70
(1.98)

75
(2.12)

80
(2.27)

95
(2.69)

HORSEPOWER
(hp) (kW)

10
(7.46)

12
(8.95)

13
(9.69)

16
(11.93)

17
(12.68)

18
(13.42)

25
(18.64)

ABRASIVE
(lb/hr) (kg/hr)

270
(122)

300
(136)

350
(159)

400
(181)

450
(204)

500
(227)

675
(306)

AIR (cu ft/min)

(cu m/min)

80
(2.27)

90
(2.55)

100
(2.83)

115
(3.26)

125
(3.54)

140
(3.96)

190
(5.38)

HORSEPOWER
(hp) (kW)

17
(12.68)

20
(14.91)

25
(18.64)

27
(20.13)

28
(20.88)

30
(22.37)

36
(26.85)

ABRASIVE
(lb/hr) (kg/hr)

470
(213)

530
(240)

600
(272)

675
(306)

750
(340)

825
(374)

1000
(454)

AIR (cu ft/min)

(cu m/min)

110
(3.12)

125
(3.54)

145
(4.11)

160
(4.53)

175
(4.96)

200
(5.66)

275
(7.79)

HORSEPOWER
(hp) (kW)

25
(18.64)

29
(21.63)

32
(23.86)

35
(26.10)

40
(29.83)

45
(33.56)

57
(42.50)

ABRASIVE
(lb/hr) (kg/hr)

675
(306)

775
(352)

875
(397)

975
(442)

1060
(481)

1100
(499)

1350
(612)

AIR (cu ft/min)

(cu m/min)

150
(4.25)

170
(4.81)

200
(5.66)

215
(6.09)

240
(6.80)

255
(7.22)

315
(8.92)

HORSEPOWER
(hp) (kW)

35
(26.10)

40
(29.83)

45
(33.56)

50
(37.28)

55
(41.01)

60
(44.74)

70
(52.20)

ABRASIVE
(lb/hr) (kg/hr)

900
(408)

1000
(454)

1200
(544)

1300
(590)

1400
(635)

1550
(703)

1800
(816)

AIR (cu ft/min)

(cu m/min)

200
(5.66)

225
(6.37)

250
(7.08)

275
(7.79)

300
(8.50)

340
(9.63)

430
(12.18)

HORSEPOWER
(hp) (kW)

45
(33.56)

50
(37.28)

55
(41.01)

63
(46.98)

70
(52.20)

75
(55.93)

95
(70.84)

ABRASIVE
(lb/hr) (kg/hr)

1200
(544)

1350
(612)

1500
(680)

1700
(771)

1850
(839)

2025
(919)

2525
(1145)

AIR (cu ft/min)

(cu m/min)

300
(8.500)

350
(9.91)

400
(11.33)

450
(12.74)

500
(14.16)

550
(15.58 )

700
(19.82)

HORSEPOWER
(hp) (kW)

70
(52.20)

80
(59.66)

90
(67.11)

100
(74.57)

110
(82.03)

120
(89.48)

150
(111.85)

ABRASIVE
(lb/hr) (kg/hr)

1900
(862)

2200
(998)

2400
(1089)

2700
(1225)

3000
(1361)

3300
(1497)

4000
(1814)

AIR (cu ft/min)

(cu m/min)

430
(12.18)

500
(14.16)

575
(16.28)

650
(18.41)

700
(19.82)

800
(22.66)

1100
(31.15)

HORSEPOWER
(hp) (kW)

100
(74.57)

115
(85.76)

130
(96.94)

145
(108.13)

160
(119.31)

175
(130.50)

215
(160.33)

ABRASIVE
(lb/hr) (kg/hr)

2700
(1225)

3100
(1406)

3500
(1588)

3900
(1769)

4300
(1950)

4700
(2132)

5700
(2586)

This table is to be used as reference only. Actual results may vary depending on specific abrasive medium used. This table is based on sand with a bulk density of
100 pounds per cubic foot.

WHAT BORE SIZE DO YOU NEED?

For maximum productivity, select the

nozzle bore size based on the desired
blast pressure and the available air pressure and flow. For example, assume you
are running a 375 cfm compressor at
80% capacity. In addition to the blast
cleaning nozzle, the compressor is
supplying air to an air helmet and other
components such as air motors and
pneumatic controls, leaving 250 cfm
available for the nozzle. Referring to
the chart on the previous page, you can
see that 250 cfm is sufficient for a 7/16"
nozzle operating at 100 psi. A larger
nozzle, or a worn 7/16" nozzle, will
require more air flow to maintain 100
psi. This extra flow requirement will
either overwork your compressor or
decrease productivity. On the other
hand, choosing a nozzle with a bore
smaller than your compressor can
supply will result in less than maximum
productivity from the system.
WHAT ARE THE BEST NOZZLE
MATERIAL CHOICES?

Nozzle material selection depends on

the abrasive you choose, how often you
blast, the size of the job, and the rigors
of the job site. Here are general application guidelines for various materials.

Aluminum oxide alumina nozzles

offer good service life at a lower price
than other materials discussed here.
They are a good choice in low usage
applications where price is a primary
factor and nozzle life is less important.
Tungsten carbide nozzles offer long
life and economy when rough handling
cant be avoided and mineral and coal
slag abrasives are used. All tungsten
carbide nozzles are not equal. Note that
all Boride tungsten carbide nozzles
feature top wear grade material and
thick-wall construction.
Silicon carbide composite nozzles offer
service life and durability very near
tungsten carbide, but these nozzles are
only about one-third the weight of
tungsten carbide nozzles. Silicon carbide composite nozzles are an excellent
choice when operators are on the job for
long periods and prefer a lightweight
nozzle.
Boron carbide nozzles provide longest
life with optimum air and abrasive use.
Boron carbide is ideal for aggressive
abrasives such as aluminum oxide and
selected mineral aggregates when rough
handling can be avoided. Boron carbide
will typically outwear tungsten carbide
by five to ten times and silicon carbide
by two to three times when aggressive
abrasives are used.

SERVICE LIFE COMPARISONS

Approximate Service Life in Hours

Nozzle Material
Steel Shot/Grit

Sand

Aluminum Oxide

Aluminum oxide
Tungsten carbide
Silicon carbide composite
Boron carbide

10-30
300-400
300-400
750-1500

1-4
20-40
50-100
200-1000

20-40
500-800
500-800
1500-2500

Estimated values for comparison. Actual service life will vary depending on blast pressure, media size, and
particle shape.

WHEN WET BLASTING

IS A REQUIREMENT

There are three options when wet

blasting is required or desired.
First is a water ring attachment
for standard blast nozzles that forces
water on the blast stream as it exits
the nozzle. While inexpensive, this
option uses a lot of water and
reduces the size of the blast pattern
and the energy of the blast stream,
cutting productivity up to 50%.
Second is a water injection system
that uses a high-pressure pump to
get water into the abrasive and air
stream. Not only does this type of
system add considerable cost and
mechanical complexity, it slows air
stream velocity and requires as much
as six gallons of water per minute.
The third option is the WIN water
induction system from Boride. The
WIN system uses a unique nozzle
configuration that takes advantage
of the venturi principle to draw or
induct water from a low pressure
line into the abrasive and air stream.
This method is much simpler than a
water injection system, effective, and
water consumption is reduced from
up to six gallons per minute to not
more than several quarts...usually
less. By reducing water use you
increase abrasive velocity and work
speed. You enjoy a larger blasting
pattern for greater production rates
since WIN nozzles incorporate a
considerably larger orifice than conventional nozzles. You also gain
flexibility since the WIN system
can also operate with air-only for
blowdown applications or with an
air/water mix for rinsing applications.

WANT TO CUT NOZZLE REPLACEMENT COSTS 66%...OR MORE?

Try a boron carbide replacement nozzle

from Boride Products. Boron carbide
replacements cost more initially, but
provide you with much longer service
life. Your per-hour cost with boron
carbide is about one-third of the cost of
cheaper nozzles.
HOW TO GET THE MOST SERVICE
LIFE OUT OF YOUR BORIDE PRODUCTS NOZZLES

1. Avoid dropping the nozzle or banging

it against anything. Nozzle materials
can break.
2. Be sure to use a nozzle designed for
your application and the abrasive you
wish to use.
3. Always use the new gasket or washer
supplied with your nozzle or nozzle
insert. It can help prevent the nozzles
entry throat from being blasted away.
Inspect, and replace if necessary, the
gasket or washer after every 10 to 20
hours of use.
4. If you are using a Boride Products
nozzle in a flanged holder, turn the
nozzle a quarter turn each week. This
will help to ensure more uniform wear
and prolong nozzle life.
HOW TO INSPECT, WHEN TO REPLACE

How much wear is too much? Here are

two simple tests:
1. Insert a drill bit of a size that matches
the original bore of the nozzle. If
theres any slop, its time to replace
it. Nozzle wear means pressure loss.
Pressure loss means lost productivity
there is a 1-1/2% loss of productivity for every pound of air pressure lost.

COMPARING NOZZLE COSTS

(Based on approximate nozzle service life using aluminum oxide abrasive).

Boron Carbide

Tungsten Carbide

Approximate nozzle cost

$80

$35

Nozzle life in hours*

200

28

$0.40

$1.20

Cost per 200 hours

Number of nozzle changeouts

$80
1

$240
7

Cost per 400 hours

Number of nozzle changeouts

$160
2

$480
14

Cost per 600 hours

Number of nozzle changeouts

$240
3

$720
21

Cost per 800 hours

Number of nozzle changeouts

$320
4

$960
28

Cost per 1000 hours

Number of nozzle changeouts

$400
5

$1200
35

Cost per hour*

*Performance may vary based upon pressure, abrasive grit size and quality and other
variables. These data are based on comparative testing under controlled conditions.

2. Hold an open nozzle up to the light

and look down the bore. Any ripple or
orange peel effect inside the carbide
liner will create internal turbulence
that reduces abrasive velocity. If you
notice any uneven wear or pressure
drop, its time to replace.
Check the nozzles exterior, too. The
materials used to build nozzles are
tough, but can be brittle. Nozzle
jacketing materials are designed to help
protect breakable liners from impact
damage. If the jacket is cracked, chances
are the liner is also cracked. If the liner
is fractured, even with hairline cracks,
the nozzle should be replaced immediately. It is not safe to use a cracked
nozzle.
Remember that all nozzles will eventually break or wear out. Keep a supply of
back-up nozzles on hand to minimize
down time.