Crushed corn cob media are made from the woody ring portion of the corn cob. This portion of the cob is separated, dried, ground, air-cleaned, and then classified over screens of various mesh sizes. They are available in granules ranging from 1/4” to a fine powder.
Corn cob media are commonly used in the metal finishing industry. Metal stampings, molded plastics, and die castings lend themselves to deburring, deflashing, burnishing and polishing in corn cob. It can also be used as a drying media in vibratory and rotary dryers.
Common applications of corn cob media also include:
- Cleaning motors, generators, and heavy equipment
- Cleaning insulators and transformers
- Removal of manufacturing soils from the ceiling of industrial facilities
- Cleaning pipes and pumps in processing plants
- Cleaning and paint preparation of buildings
- Cleaning timbers in log homes prior to sealing
- Cleaning boat hulls
Crushed corn cob is also ideal for pressure blasting, due to its mild abrasiveness, absorbency, and resilience to attrition. Advantages of using corn cobs for blasting include the elimination of masking, elimination of solvents and pollution concerns, non-sparking and non-toxic operation, non-silica content, and the fact that it is organic and biodegrable.