Dry-ice pellets are quite soft, and much less dense than other media used in blast-cleaning (i.e. sand, glass or plastic pellets). Upon impact, the pellets sublimates almost immediately, transferring minimal kinetic energy to the surface on impact and producing minimal abrasion. The sublimation process absorbs a large volume of heat from the surface, producing shear stresses due to thermal shock. The rapid change in state from solid to gas also causes microscopic shock waves, which are also thought to assist in removing the contaminant.
What are the benefits of dry ice blast cleaning?
• Dry ice blast cleaning significantly reduces down time by eliminating the need to disassemble machinery
• Because dry ice cleaning is moistureless, there is no need for drying
• It is bacteriostatic, which means it not only provides an effective cleaning mechanism but also a sterilisation process, making it particularly attractive in food and scientific applications
• It produces no secondary contaminant to be removed, as can often be the case with water and solvent-based processes
CRYOCLEAN® pellet blasting is used in nearly every industry . Some examples:
Automotive
Cleaning of engine blocks, moulds and dies, spray booths
Brewing
Removal of fermentation residue from vats and vessels
Electrical
Cleaning of electrical motor housings, stators and windings, control panels, circuit breakers, substations and line insulators
Electronics
Removal of flux and resin build-up in PCB process equipment and curing ovens
Food
Cleaning of process equipment, conveyors, mixing vats, ovens, floors, moulds and extrusion dies
Foundries
Coreboxes, moulds, die-cast machines, mixers, hoppers, cooling fans
Local Authorities
Cleaning of drains, chewing gum removal, surface refurbishing of buildings and monuments
Paper
Removal of paper and wood pulp from processing machinery
Pharmaceuticals
Cleaning of reactors, mixers, storage vessels and tablet moulds
Plastics
Cleaning of moulds, extrusion dies, ovens and mixers
Printing
Removal of inks, coatings and paper-dust build up
As one of the leading dry ice suppliers, Linde offers under the ICEBITZZZ™ brand in many countries a range of flexible, one-stop solutions that meet the increasingly diverse volume and delivery needs of this segment.