Abrasive Blast Air and Abrasive Consumption
Nozzle air-flow (cfm), compressor horsepower, abrasive consumption (lb/hr).
Example
You enter
- Nozzle bore 0.375
- Blast pressure (psi) 100
- Area to blast (ft²) 3000
- Abrasive per ft² (lb, heavy-prep ~8) 8
You get
- Nozzle air-flow 283 cfm
- Compressor horsepower 70.8 hp
- Abrasive consumption 768 lb/hr
- Abrasive (ton) 12
Checked against published worked examples from: SSPC / AMPP SP specs / nozzle manufacturer chart.
Details, formula, and sources
ScopeNozzle air-flow (cfm), compressor horsepower, abrasive consumption (lb/hr), and total abrasive for an area from the nozzle bore and blast pressure.
Formula or tablecfm = base_cfm(bore) x pressure/100; compressor_hp = cfm / 4; abrasive_lb_hr = base_lb_hr(bore) x pressure/100; abrasive_lb = area x lb_per_ft2; tons = lb / 2000.
Source and editionSSPC / AMPP surface-preparation (SP) specifications and the nozzle manufacturer's air / abrasive chart by name; representative nozzle values at 100 psi.
Free accessThe SSPC / AMPP SP specifications are published consensus standards. The nozzle values come from the manufacturer's chart.
What governsEstimate. AHJ and licensed professional govern.
API field namesnozzle_bore_in, pressure_psi, area_ft2, lb_per_ft2, cfm, compressor_hp, abrasive_lb_hr, abrasive_tons
- Nozzle table representative cfm / lb-hr by bore at 100 psi (3/16 -> 74/178 ... 1/2 -> 503/1320)nozzle manufacturer charts
- Rules of thumb ~4 cfm per compressor hp; 8 lb/ft^2 heavy-prep abrasive defaultblasting practice