The Process: Cleaner, Quicker, Safer

In this remarkable cleaning process, dry ice particles or pellets are propelled at a very high speed onto the surface to be cleaned. These particles are composed of frozen Carbon Dioxide (CO²), which is nonpoisonous and food-safe and meets FDA, EPA, and USDA guidelines. Just as with other blasting systems, compressed air is used to accelerate the dry ice particles to a very high velocity. In most cases, standard shop air (80-100 psi) can be used.

The temperature difference between the dry ice (which is -109° F or -78.3° C), and the surface that is being blasted causes thermal shock to occur, which breaks the bond between the surface and the unwanted substance or contaminate. In the process of being cleaned, the surface also gets sanitized by the dry ice.

Dry ice blasting can be used to safely clean machines, equipment, and process piping without interrupting production. And because the process is non-conductive, it can be used near energized equipment and electrical lines. Less downtime equals less expense—and the potential for significant long-term savings.

Dry ice has the further advantage of disappearing on contact. As the dry ice impacts a surface, it quickly sublimates or vaporizes into a moisture-free gas, leaving the surface dry and clean. Dry ice blasting is non-abrasive and nonflammable, and unlike other forms of blasting (such as sand, soda, and bead blasting), no secondary (sometimes toxic) waste is left behind. This saves on-site clean-up time.

This process is very effective at cleaning delicate, intricate, and hard-to-reach areas and cavities, ones in which other, abrasive, blasting materials may become trapped or cause damage. With dry ice blasting, no time-consuming and complicated disassembly of equipment is required, and the blasting force can be as gentle or as aggressive as the application requires.