In it’s solid state, carbon dioxide can be pelletized into tiny rice size pieces, which is more commonly referred to as “”dry ice””. So similar to how other types of media blasting works, dry ice blasting involves the acceleration of peletized pieces of carbon dioxide for the purpose of cleaning a surface. The dry ice pellet is approximately -110 degrees Farenheit when it hits the surface. Essentially, dry ice Small Business harnesses the power of heat transfer and kinetic energy to effectively remove contaminants.
This is similar to sandblasting, plastic bead blasting, or soda blasting. The difference is that dry ice blasting does not create secondary waste or chemical residues, and is non-abrasive, non-conductive, non-flammable, and non-toxic. It reduces or eliminates employee exposure to chemicals, and is an environmentally friendly cleaning method that is approved by the FDA, EPA, and USDA. Dry ice blast cleaning can be a faster, more efficient, safer and environmentally friendly process when compared with many other cleaning methods. Safer and cleaner than other popular “blasting” methods, dry ice blasting is a highly effective method for removing unwanted materials from equipment and surfaces. That’s why Airgas Dry Ice has built the infrastructure to support your dry ice blasting product needs along with the strategic relationships to provide a complete dry ice blast cleaning offering.
The MAK of CO2 is limited to 0.5% by volume, which is not a problem in the open air or in a factory shed. The low temperature (-79 C/-110 F) makes the coating brittle, cracks it and loosens it. DIP 50 Dry Ice Pelletizer New ICEsonic DIP 50 Dry Ice Pelletizer is capable of producing 50 kg/h of high density dry ice 24 hours a day, every day. DIP 30 Dry Ice Pelletizer New ICEsonic DIP 30 Dry Ice Pelletizer is capable of producing 30 kg/h of high density dry ice in a compact form. There are plenty of tough cleaning jobs in a manufacturing plant, but there are none stickier than trying to remove years’ worth of build-up on a machine that coats giant sheets of laminate with glue. Check out our latest blogs for more information about how to pack dry ice and proper dry ice safety during transportation.
Dry ice blasting is a non-destructive solution for cleaning, surface preparation, and parts finishing. Dry ice blasting does not require water or cleaning chemicals and does not produce secondary waste. Dry ice blasting can be used in industries like aerospace & aviation, automotive, contract cleaning, food & beverage, plastics & composites, restoration, textiles, and more.
These systems are rarely seen today as they are less efficient in most applications. Their principal advantage is in allowing finer particles of ice to be delivered to the applicator as the late combination of warm air with cold ice results in less sublimation in the hose. These systems allow for more delicate surfaces to be cleaned such as in semiconductor. Unlike abrasive sandblasting, dry ice pellets instantly vaporize on impact with the contaminated surface creating an explosive cleaning effect. This dislodges residues and lifts the contaminants away, leaving nothing behind but a clean, dry surface.
Due to the nonabrasive nature of dry ice and the absence of secondary waste from the cleaning process, dry-ice blasting is used in conservation and historical preservation projects. The cleaning process was used in the conservation of the USS Monitor and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Cold Jet is the pioneer and global leader in dry ice blasting technology, holding the original patent for modern dry ice blasting equipment. With unmatched experience, superior technology, and premium support, you receive much more than a state-of-the-art dry ice blasting machine; you receive the most extensive and expansive customer support resources. Learn more about our dry ice blasting equipment and the ROI it can provide here.
Through the different coefficients of thermal expansion, the compound of surface and dirt is loosened. The third, and most important effect, results in the change of the physical condition of the dry ice particles. Upon impact the carbon dioxide directly transforms, or sublimates, from a solid to a gaseous state and expands about 700 times the volume within a split second. At the end of the cleaning procedure the loosened dirt particles can be easily disposed of with no remaining residue or CO2 crystals left behind.
Dry-ice blasting can clean numerous objects with differing, complex geometries at once, which is why cleaning plastic and rubber molds is a main application for the technology. Dry ice replaces traditional cleaning methods that rely on manual scrubbing and the use of chemical cleaning agents. Dry-ice blasting cleans the molds in-place at operating temperature, which eliminates the need to shut production down for cleaning. Dry ice is made of reclaimed carbon dioxide that is produced from other industrial processes, and is an approved media by the EPA, FDA and USDA. It also reduces or eliminates employee exposure to the use of chemical cleaning agents. Dry-ice blasting is a form of carbon dioxide cleaning, where dry ice, the solid form of carbon dioxide, is accelerated in a pressurized air stream and directed at a surface in order to clean it.
Unlike most other blasting media, for example sand, whose solid aggregate state remains unchanged throughout, the frozen CO2 pellets sublimate into gas on collision with the surface. This lack of residuals makes dry ice blasting an excellent cleaning application for cleanrooms. Some soft contaminants, like oil, can spatter under the pressures involved in dry ice cleaning, so either special collection systems or low-pressure cleaning methods may work better. Because of the rapid change, only a small amount of force is transferred to the surface, which leaves the surface with no abrasion.
