AeroBlast Products, Inc. is pleased to announce that its Type II, Type III, and Type V granulated plastic blast media have been qualified under MIL-DTL-85891C, the current U.S. Department of Defense detail specification for plastic abrasive blast media. The qualification authorizes continued use of AeroBlast media across defense and aerospace coating-removal programs, including flightline maintenance, depot-level refurbishment, and component-level finishing on both military and commercial aerospace platforms.
What MIL-DTL-85891C covers
MIL-DTL-85891C is the active detail specification that governs plastic media used to remove coatings from aircraft, weapons systems, and other military components. It establishes requirements for chemical composition, hardness, particle size distribution, bulk density, friability, and contamination limits across the recognized media types. Qualification is required for any supplier whose media is used on Department of Defense platforms or DoD-managed contracts.
Common qualified applications include:
- Aircraft paint stripping
- Landing gear stripping
- Aircraft wheel stripping
- Propeller stripping
- Aircraft engine overhaul
- Composite and metal surface preparation for drones and UAVs
- Aerospace MRO and depot-level maintenance
- Post-process finishing on additively-manufactured aerospace components
Which AeroBlast grades are qualified
Three of AeroBlast's four production grades are qualified under MIL-DTL-85891C. Each has a distinct chemistry, hardness, and application profile:
Type II · Urea-formaldehyde · 3.5 Mohs
Versatile all-purpose grade for coating removal and mold and screw work, including paint and powder-coat residue. Widely used in general aerospace refurbishment where a balance of aggression and substrate protection is required.
Type III · Melamine-formaldehyde · 4.0 Mohs
The most aggressive grade in the granulated line — built for steel and chrome molds, heavily carbonized surfaces, and thick coating removal on tolerant substrates. Suited to depot-level refurbishment where cycle time matters.
Type V · Acrylic · 3.5 Mohs
The everyday workhorse for general injection-mold and feed-screw cleaning, and for aerospace applications requiring consistent, repeatable surface preparation on high-value substrates.
A note on Type VI
AeroBlast Type VI (Poly Allyl Diglycol Carbonate / CR-39, 3.0 Mohs) is engineered for medical device, surgical instrument, and precision-tooling applications — critical clean-room environments where substrate integrity and contamination control take precedence over aggressive material removal. Type VI is not within the scope of MIL-DTL-85891C because its target applications are outside the aerospace coating-removal domain. This does not affect Type VI's qualification for its primary medical and precision-tooling use cases.
What this means for existing customers
For customers already using AeroBlast Type II, Type III, or Type V media in defense or aerospace applications, no product substitution is required. The same production grades already in your operations are qualified under the current MIL-DTL-85891C revision.
If your organization's procurement documents reference prior revisions in the MIL-DTL-85891 series, AeroBlast Type II, Type III, and Type V media may be specified as direct successors under MIL-DTL-85891C. Purchase orders, contract line items, and specification sheets can be updated at your normal revision cadence — there is no urgency to modify open contracts, and no risk to compliance for material already delivered.
AeroBlast can provide MIL-DTL-85891C qualification confirmation letters for procurement files, contract audits, and supplier qualification packages. Contact info@aeroblast.com or call +1 513.772.4633 to request documentation for specific contracts or platforms.
What this means for new procurement
For prime contractors, defense manufacturers, MRO operators, and DoD procurement teams evaluating suppliers under the current specification: AeroBlast is a qualified source for MIL-DTL-85891C plastic blast media across Type II, III, and V grades. Documentation, sample quantities, and technical support for platform-specific evaluations are available on request.
AeroBlast has manufactured granulated plastic blast media in Sharonville, Ohio since 1986, holds ISO 9001 certification, and produces all four grades from 100% post-industrial recycled thermoset polymer content — a defensible recycled-content story for prime contractors managing supplier sustainability requirements and Scope 3 emissions inventories.
Contact for MIL-DTL-85891C procurement
AeroBlast Products, Inc.
11019 Mosteller Road
Sharonville, OH 45241
United States
Phone: +1 513.772.4633
Email: info@aeroblast.com
For rapid response on defense and aerospace procurement inquiries — including qualification documentation, technical data sheets, sample quantities, and platform-specific application guidance — reference "MIL-DTL-85891C" in the subject line.