Reference Guide

The following information is for guidance only, to help match up and give you an idea of the largest nozzle size a compressor can cope with at a given pressure.

A common mistake most people make when setting up a blast system, whether it be a small suction cabinet or a large industrial open blast machine is thinking that their compressor produces 100 PSI and that will do. This is not the most important factor when choosing a compressor. The most important factor is the Volume of air a compressor will produce at 100 PSI. Compressors are usually rated in Cubic Feet per Minute (C.F.M.).

 

The following chart illustrates the above.

		50	60	70	80	90	100	125
Nozzle Orifice
1/8" Inch	Air CFM Horsepower	12 1.75	13 2	15 2.5	18 3	19 3.5	21 4	26 6
3/16" Inch	Air CFM Horsepower	25 5	30 8	35 9	40 9.5	43 10	45 10.5	60 16
1/4" Inch	Air CFM Horsepower	50 10	55 12	60 13	70 16	75 17	80 18	95 25
5/16" Inch	Air CFM Horsepower	80 17	90 20	100 25	115 27	125 28	140 30	190 36
3/8" Inch	Air CFM Horsepower	110 25	125 29	145 32	160 35	175 40	200 45	275 63
7/16" Inch	Air CFM Horsepower	150 35	170 40	200 45	215 50	240 55	255 60	315 70
1/2" Inch	Air CFM Horsepower	200 45	225 50	250 55	275 63	300 70	340 75	430 95
5/8" Inch	Air CFM Horsepower	430 100	500 115	575 130	650 145	700 160	800 175	1100 215

	Approximate Service Life In Hours
	Abrasive Type	Steel Shot/Grit	Sand	Aluminium Oxide
Nozzle Material
Boron Alloy		20 - 40	10 - 30	1 - 4
Tungsten Carbide		500 - 800	300 - 400	20 - 40
Silicone Nitride		500 - 800	300 - 400	20 - 40
Silicon Carbide		600 - 1000	400 - 600	50 - 100
Boron Carbide		1500 - 2500	750 - 1500	200 - 1000