Uses
Corncobs find use in the following applications:
- Industrial source of the chemical furfural
- Fiber in fodder for ruminant livestock (despite low nutritional value)
- Livestock bedding - cobs absorb moisture and provide a compliant surface
- A mild abrasive for cleaning building surfaces, when coarsely ground
- Raw material for bowls of corncob pipes
- Fuel - corncobs may be burned to provide heat
- Charcoal production
Corncobs are also commonly used as bedding for rodents used as subjects in research experiments, usually supplemented with other types of bedding like cotton fiber intended to reduce respiratory problems blamed in turn on all-corncob bedding and bacterial growth.
Read more about this topic: Corncob