What actually is Dry Ice Blasting Works
Fundamentally, dry ice blasting works like other forms of media blasting (often referred to informally as “sandblasting”. Media blasting propels a material at high-speed against a surface, typically using compressed air. In most media blasting, the material used to clean the surface is abrasive, scouring the surface clean of any contaminants. However, the material used in dry ice blasting—dry ice pellets—is virtually non-abrasive.
So how does dry ice blasting clean the surface? Through a combination of thermal shock and gas expansion. A dry ice pellet is a form of solid carbon dioxide with a temperature of −109°F (−78°C). When a dry ice pellet strikes a contaminant, rapid heat transfer occurs. This heat transfer causes the contaminant to contract and detach from the surface. This rapid heat transfer also causes the dry ice pellet to vaporize, changing the pellet from a solid to a gaseous state. This state change is accompanied by rapid expansion, knocking away the loosened debris
Advantages of Ice Blasting
- Fast cleaning—equipment can be cleaned without cooling completely, or in many cases disassembled, shortening shutdown times.
- Deep cleaning—the pressurized air stream can reach areas that are hard to reach using traditional cleaning methods.
- Simplified cleanup—because dry ice vaporizes to a gas it leaves behind no secondary waste. The only material to be cleaned up is the original contaminant.
- Environmentally responsible—dry ice pellets are pure carbon dioxide so don’t leave behind any toxic residue. (Although the contaminants on the surfaces being cleaned may themselves be toxic.)
- Non-abrasive—because dry ice pellets are virtually non-abrasive, they won’t damage the substrate of the surface being cleaned.
- Non-conductive—dry ice doesn’t conduct electricity, making it suitable for cleaning electronic equipment.
- Dry cleaning method—because dry ice goes directly to a gaseous state from a solid one, dry ice blasting can be used when a dry cleaning method is required.
- Microorganism decontamination—dry ice blasting can effectively remove Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria from surfaces such as stainless steel, ceramic tile and food grade plastics