Patent ID: 8920570

Claim:
A method for removing contaminants from a used sucker rod, the method comprising the steps of: a) obtaining a used sucker rod with contaminants; b) removing said contaminants from the used sucker rod by bombarding the used sucker rod with non-toxic solid particles comprising methane or carbon dioxide, wherein said contaminants are removed from the used sucker rod by: i) kinetic energy from the non-toxic solid particles, wherein said kinetic energy accelerates the non-toxic solid particles such that said contaminants are blasted away from the used sucker rod; ii) thermal shock that weakens the contaminants by dropping a temperature of the contaminants; iii) thermal-kinetic energy that causes vapor to form from sublimation of the non-toxic solid particles upon impact with said contaminants, wherein the vapor expands and causes micro explosions which remove the contaminants; or iv) combinations thereof; c) heating the sucker rod until the rod is able to undergo plastic deformation; d) shaping the sucker rod; and e) after step d), subjecting the sucker rod to shot peening or shot blasting.