Replacement of Copper Slag Used as Abrasive Blasting Media in Ship Building and Ship Repair Industry

Blasting process, one of the surface preparation method in ship building and ship repair industries is marked as the major significant sources in generation of waste; because it is mandatory process for the surface preparation before painting process in shipbuilding or for the removal of the old paint including primer coating from the surface of steel in ship repair. During the copper slag blasting operation environment in the vicinity of the working areas are polluted by fine dust of the abrasive material which is used, paint, metal chips and with toxic metals. Most of the Ship building and Ship repair industries had started replacing copper slag as abrasive media to environment friendly media. Therefore, replacement of conventional production methods i.e. blasting using copper slag grit with less contaminating, environmentally safe and alternative processes which do not or have less affect on human health and environment is essential. In this work, harmful effects of abrasive-blasting materials like copper slag grit, iron shots used for surface preparation are investigated by considering the impact effectiveness of the material on human being and environment. The results of is outcome bearing in mind the blasting efficiency, cost and pollution caused by the blasting media. The reason of alternating the present blasting material is to decrease amount of waste and pollution.