It is important to know the differences in blasting media, since different abrasive blasting media are required for different applications. Blasting media can be used for purposes such as cleaning, stripping, etching, strengthening and polishing.luminum Oxide. Aluminum oxide is the most widely used abrasive in blast finishing and surface preparation Aluminum oxide is an extremely sharp, long-lasting blasting abrasive that can be recycled many times. In addition to the standard brown, aluminum oxide is available in 99.5% pure white grades.