Abrasive blasting, sometimes known as sandblasting (though in industrial and commercial uses sand is not used), is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against a surface under high pressure to smooth a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, remove rust scale, or remove other surface contaminants.
A pressurized fluid, typically compressed air, or a centrifugal wheel is used to propel the blasting material (often called the media).