Application of dry ice for cleaning different surfaces

       One of the major applications of dry ice in the role of a freezing agent is blast cleaning of surfaces. Dry ice cleaning is used in a number of industries: electromechanics, food, polyurethane and plastic, printing, restoration and other. It is a fast and effective blasting alternative to traditional cleaning methods of industrial equipment.

The dry ice blasting process includes 3 stages:

• Kinetic: when the speed of dry ice pellets in the stream of pressurised air accelerates and pellets contact with the cleaned surface at the sound speed, dry ice pellets blast and separate the coating of the treated surface.
• Thermal: low temperature of dry ice pellets (-79°С) increases friability of the coating, the coating cracks and separates. This way, dry ice pellets penetrate into the coating.
• Sublimation: after penetration through the coating, dry ice pellets sublimate immediately (transit from the solid to steam phase with no intermediate liquid stage). The pellet volume increases up to 700 times, an impact similar to an explosion takes place, during which the coating is raised from the cleaned surface.

Advantages of the technology:

• no additional cleaning residues;
• cleaned surfaces are not damaged;
• a dry cleaning process.