What is Dry Ice Blasting?

Dry ice blasting (also known as CO2 blasting and dry ice cleaning) is a unique industrial cleaning method that uses specialized equipment to mix dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) pellets with compressed air. The compressed air accelerates the dry ice pellets through a blast hose. The pellets exit a blast nozzle near supersonic speeds and impact the surface. Upon impact, the dry ice converts to a gas (sublimation) and the rapid gas expansion of CO2 facilitates the removal of the surface contamination.

Cleaning Mechanism

The cleaning mechanism for dry ice blasting depends on the following factors:

  • Kinetic Energy (speed and mass of pellet)
  • Thermal Shock (temperature difference between pellet and residue)
  • Thermal-Kinetic Effect (gas expansion of sublimed dry ice).

Kinetic Energy

Dry ice is softer and less dense than common blast media. During the dry ice cleaning process, the blast equipment accelerates the pellets close to supersonic speeds. Upon impact, the pellets sublime almost instantaneously and transfer a small amount of energy to the residue or surface. This phenomenon reduces abrasion to the substrate.

Thermal Shock

As the pellets impact the surface and sublime, heat is absorbed from the surface residue. The rapid heat transfer from the top layer of the residue creates temperature gradients within the micro layers of the residue. As a result, micro cracks and fractures form within the residue due to high shear stress. This effect reduces the adhesion of the residue to the surface.

Thermal-Kinetic Effect

Upon sublimation, the carbon dioxide gas expands to a volume nearly 800 times the volume of the original pellet. The rapid gas expansion helps lift and remove the residue from the substrate.

Advantages

Dry ice blasting is non-abrasive, non-flammable, non-conductive, and environmentally friendly. The process does not introduce secondary contaminants and allows cleaning in place which reduces down time. The EPA, FDA and USDA approves dry ice blasting for industry applications.

Applications

Electrical

Facility Equipment

Manufacturing

Power Generation

Real Estate

Restoration

AC/DC Motors

Conveyors

Plastic Molds

Turbine

Escalators

Fire Restoration

Electrical Boxes

Conveyor Chains

Industrial Ovens

Substation Isolator

Stairwells

Historic Restoration

Circuit Breakers

Cooling Fans

Weld Lines

Bushings

Gum Pollution

Mold Remediation

Forklifts

Foundry Molds

Switch Gear

Building Exteriors

Boat Hulls

Fleet Vehicles

Printing Presses

Transformer

Walls

Pipes and Hoses

Resin Removal

Rotor

Ceilings

General Equipment

Tank Cleaning

Armature

Graffiti Removal

Machining Equipment

Field Frame

Parking Garages

Removal

Dry ice blasting can remove the following surface residues:

  • Production Residues
  • Release Agents
  • Resins
  • Adhesives
  • Contaminants
  • Paints
  • Oils
  • Greases
  • Asphalt Tar
  • Biofilms

Benefits

  • Reduce cleaning costs
  • Reduce down time for maintenance and cleaning
  • Reduce labor costs
  • Reduce waste disposal and cost (no secondary waste)
  • Clean in place without tool dis-assembly

Safety

  • Eliminate use of toxic chemicals and solvents
  • Minimize waste from cleaning
  • Extend equipment Life
  • Eliminate surface degradation from by abrasive blast media