Glass Bead vs. Crushed Glass Grit

We get a lot of questions about the difference between Glass Bead and Crushed Glass Grit. Below are some before and after pictures of a copper pipe after blasting with similar grit sizes of both of these materials. [Note: The pictures are not great but you should be able to see some clear differences.]

Welding burns & discoloration on surface

Glass Bead is a round particle that produces a very smooth, satin-like finish. This media can be re-used multiple times and is typically used in a blast cabinet. Crushed Glass Grit is an angular grit that offers very good strip rates but breaks down very quickly. Crushed Glass Grit is generally used in portable blasting equipment where collection and re-use is difficult.


Glass Bead - Bright, smooth, satin-like finish


Crushed Glass Grit - Lightly etched finish, very short blast time