• Walnut shells can be used as a blasting media.quelques noix image by jeremie Delferriere from Fotolia.com
  
  Blasting is a method of cleaning or altering various surfaces. According to the Blast Cleaning Technology Handbook, blasting is a matter of "kinetic energy delivered by the impacting media." The force of the basting varies according to the kind of media used for blasting. For this reason, some media works best for specific kinds of applications.
  
  

Objects from Nature

• When it is necessary to clean surfaces that can be easily marred, you can use media that is made with objects from nature. Ground up walnut shells or corncobs and their kernels work well in this application, because they can be softer than other man-made materials.
  
  

Ceramic Media

• Ceramic is something that is quite versatile. Not only can it be used for containers or knives, but blasting media as well. Ceramic as a blasting media is especially useful for finishing or peening metal surfaces. Peening or shot peening is the, "cold working process in which small spherical media called shot bombard the surface of a part," explains the Metal Improvement Company.
  
  

Metal Media

• Metal can be used as a blasting media. The types of metal most commonly used are brass, iron, aluminum and steel. Metal as a media works well to remove paint, rust or other imperfections.
  
  

Aluminum Oxide Media

• Aluminum oxide is a very hard material that serves well as a blasting media. Not only can this media be used for cleaning, but etching as well. It can also be used to prepare surfaces for application of finish coating.
  
  

Plastic Media

• Two kinds of plastic are used as blasting media: thermoplastic and thermosetting. Thermoplastic polymers can be formed when hot, then when cooled, resume a hard state. Thermosetting polymers can be shaped when hot, but not as much as thermoplastic polymers. Either plastic can be used to clean surfaces and remove paint or flashing.
  
  

Glass Media

• Glass media can be used to clean or even peen metal. Glass is more of a general-use blasting media.