Bristle blasting is a new and unique corrosion removal process that is rapidly gaining
widespread acceptance among engineers and practitioners in the corrosion/surface
preparation community. This process involves the use of a specially designed wire bristle tool
that is precisely tuned to the spindle speed of a power tool that rotates at approximately 2,500
rpm. That is, the principle of operation is based upon synchronized/repeated impact and
rebound of bristle tips with a target surface, leading to a multitude of impact craters that
remove corrosion, expose fresh substrate material, and generate a required anchor profile.
In this paper, the cleanliness and texture of surfaces generated by the bristle blasting
process is examined and reported. Specifically, the present work is aimed at evaluating the
cleanliness, surface profile, and material removal performance that can be achieved for steel
(ABS-A) that is commonly used in ship building industries. In addition, results are reported that
assess the relationship between tool longevity and surface texture performance, which can
form a basis for estimating the overall life expectancy of the bristle blasting tool.
Finally, basic issues concerning the recommended norms for using the bristle blaster are
briefly introduced, and a comparison of surfaces generated by the bristle blasting process is
made with those generated by other conventional surface finishing tools and processes.
Based upon this comparison, the morphology of surfaces generated by bristle blasting is
shown to be similar to those generated by grit blasting technology.
KEY WORDS: Anchor Profile; Bristle Blasting; Corrosion Removal; Surface Cleaning Processes; Surface
Preparation Processes