What is corn cob?
Corn cob is obtained from the corn ear, from which the fibrous and dried part is extracted. Subsequently, the product is ground and brought to the granulometry desired by the buyers.
In the mechanical industry, corn cob is also known as vegetable granules or corn cellulose granules.
It is used in large quantities to degrease, clean, and dry metal parts and small parts of any type and shape.
As universally recognized, to have an excellent final product you must start with an excellent raw material.
For this reason, Piz Frigo purchases corn cob from those seed companies that provide a product of the highest quality, free from pollutants and toxins, absence of aflatoxins, molds, bacteria, pesticides, GMOs.
In addition to paying great attention to the choice of the quality of the corn cob, Piz Frigo guarantees accuracy in processing for the final achievement of a product that meets the various needs of the market.
From the field to processing
The cob is the part of the corn ear where the kernels are attached. The corn ear is also commonly called pannocchia, even though this term more properly indicates the plant's inflorescence.
The corn harvesting technique has changed over the years.
Until about 1960, manual harvesting was used, and the "pannocchie" were placed in mesh cages to allow them to dry and be preserved. Only when needed, the cobs were shelled with special shellers (now visible in some industrial archaeology museums) which detached the corn kernels from the cob. The cob remained on the farm and was then used.
The current technique allows the corn to be harvested directly with machines in the field that shell the ears. The cob, considered waste, remains in the field, and the corn kernels are almost obligatorily sent to the dryer.
A natural material with a thousand applications
The use of the cob has greatly diminished over the years, due to the different corn harvesting technique described above.
It can be used as an effective fuel for grilling instead of wood or charcoal, since its embers last a long time and do not crumble easily.
The ground cob can be used for many applications, thanks to some properties that are characteristic of this material such as the high absorption capacity of liquids, the wear resistance, a good abrasiveness and a high elasticity. Furthermore, future use for biogas production can be foreseen.
Some examples of application in the industrial field are:
• Integrator or support in feed
• Support in the pharmaceutical field
• Bedding for small pets
• Product for cleaning metals
• Product for cleaning lenses
• Product for sandblasting
