Iron powder has a very different character to the white powders. The high density spherical grains ‘pummel’ or ‘peen’ the surface using a percussive action to hammer away the rock. 

Hard iron powder is used for roughing work and matrix removal on indurated matrix. It will also speed up work on softer matrices, but is quite aggressive and must be used with an abundance of caution when working near a fossil. Because of its more aggressive nature, it can be used at much lower pressures than soft iron powder, and will cut through rock types that soft iron powder will not. 

Highly recyclable. The fines will be extracted away (but do not help much for fossil prep) and the larger particles can be swept up from the base of your blast cabinet and seived for reuse (the Impact 250 micron sieve does the trick perfectly). Do bear in mind that iron powder by nature can go rusty when in contact with oxygen, therefore clumping together and potentially causing a clog if left out, left in the tank or used in airlines without adequate filtration (we recommend the Dropout Filter Kit).

Fines can be explosive and may be ignited by heat, friction, sparks or flames and so care must be taken. Iron powder is combustible, and not recommended for use within a blast cabinet with a light that isn't completely sealed from the environment. LED lights or external LED lights preferable. Chance of explosion is incredibly rare, and we supply a grade of iron powder with limited fines to mitigate this risk. Make sure that your dust extraction system is grounded.

Please make sure that your air abrasive unit is able to take particles this large (150 micron) before using. The nozzle and orifices must be matched to the grain size. Due to the density of this powder, it runs better in some units than others. 

Learn more about air abrasive here.