Tungsten carbide (TC) — 300–1,000 hours of life. Lower upfront cost. Standard production choice.

Boron carbide (BC) — 750–1,500 hours. ~3× the cost of TC, but in heavy-production environments the longer service life and reduced nozzle-swap downtime usually pays for itself.

Long-venturi — longer convergent/divergent section accelerates abrasive to higher velocity. ~40% more production than short-venturi at the same CFM. Standard production choice for tungsten carbide and boron carbide blast nozzles.

Short-venturi — cheaper, easier to keep clean. Used in light-duty service and where weight matters (hand blast in hard-to-reach areas).