Dry-ice blasting

Dry ice blasting is a compressed air jet process, in which solid carbon dioxide, so-called dry ice, is used with a temperature of -78.9 ° C, as an abrasive. The method is used in surface technology for cleaning.

General

Dry ice is not electrically conductive, chemically inert, non-toxic and non-flammable. Unlike other dry ice blasting agents is at ambient pressure without liquefaction directly from solid to gaseous state - it will sublimate.

For cleaning, the dry ice particles are accelerated air per minute, for example, with 5000 liters and hit the speed of sound in the material to be cleaned. Thus, the layer to be removed is subcooled and brittle locally. Subsequent dry ice particles penetrate into the Sprödrisse and sublimate on impact abruptly. The carbon dioxide is a gas and thereby increases its volume by about 700 to 1000 times. It blows up the dirt from the surface.

The advantages of this minimally abrasive and non-corrosive process are the low damage of the material to be cleaned, and the fact that after processing no cleaning media for disposal remains, because the CO2 gas dissipates into the surrounding air. As dry ice is relatively soft, the surface will not be damaged; also extremely sensitive electrical components such as circuit boards, can be purified. Due to the ability to edit smallest geometries damaged as with no disassembly is Dry Ice Blasting among others for cleaning of molds, paint removal of components, removal of underbody protection in the vintage and classic restoration, cleaning of replacement engines and to the elimination of rubber, oil, grease, silicone, wax, bituminous coatings, release agents and binders and adhesives.

In historic preservation, purification clearly play with dry ice its benefits. So the paint of old timber framing can be removed with dry ice without causing major damage to the might centuries-old beams. This is possible even inside buildings. Thus, a brightening of timber framing and a removal of clay and paint residues be carried out very carefully. Among other things, this technique is also used to remove paint, graffiti and removing the rootlets of ivy and Virginia creeper on walls.

Properties of dry ice pellets

1) On uncoated ferrous materials and alloys.