In the 1960s, the US Navy in Norfolk, Virginia sought new methods for stripping the paint off submarines. The current method, at that time, utilized steel grit blasting to go down to bare metal, removing the anti-fouling paint, the vinyl under-coating and the primer.
A very inventive civilian employee of the Navy along with Ted Diamond, of Composition Materials, pioneered a new method of blasting with Walnut Shell Grit to selectively remove only the anti-fouling paint, leaving the valuable vinyl undercoating and the primer intact, resulting in a huge savings in material, labor, and out of service costs.
The use of Walnut Shell Blasting has grown exponentially because it offers a non-toxic eco-friendly blasting media, that safely and effectively removes paint from boats, cars, trucks, bridges, brick buildings, steel and even the Statue of Liberty. As a soft abrasive, blasting is possible without removing rubber seals and gaskets.
Additionally, Walnut Shell Grits are used in the manufacture of ceramic based products, such as grinding wheels. By adding Walnut Shell to the ceramic mix, the Walnut Shell additive is “burned-out” during firing, thereby creating porosity.
Walnut Shell Flours are used as an additive in manufacturing adhesives and other compounds.
Also, an extensive line of Cosmetic Grade Walnut Shell grits are available.