F.A.Q.
DRY ICE BLASTING
Dry ice is made from carbon dioxide. During dry ice manufacturing operations, industry professionals subject the gas to high pressures and extremely low temperatures (109° F), forcing it to condense into its liquid form. They then inject the liquid CO2 into a block press or pelletizer, which forms it into solid blocks.
Dry ice is available in many grocery and general merchandise stores. While larger chains, such as Costco and Walmart, are likely to carry it, some smaller chains may not have it in stock. Turning to a dry ice supplier provides a direct and reliable source of dry ice.
The amount of dry ice needed for an application depends on many factors, including product weight, packaging, and length of use. These considerations also vary based on the exact application.
For example, the quantity needed for keeping things fresh vs. keeping things frozen is different. Partnering with a dry ice specialist can help you determine how much dry ice is required for a particular application.With BM2 equipment, most customers need 0-0.32 kg/minute while the trigger is engaged. Of course, when we are cleaning, we won’t be pulling the trigger constantly. At a rate of 0.32 kg/minute with 50% trigger time, we would use 9.4 kg of dry ice in an hour.
Dry ice is generally priced by weight, but the exact cost varies from one retailer to the next. On average, the price ranges between $1.00 to $3.00 per pound. Some retailers also offer discounts on bulk purchases.
Dry ice is delivered and stored in insulated containers from the supplier. A typical storage container holds approximately 500 lbs of dry ice, and should be used within 5 days of manufacturing for best results. It is best to store these containers in well ventilated cooler spaces to maintain the quality.
Dry ice is safe to use as a chilling agent for food and drinks. However, it should never be consumed as doing so can cause severe medical issues such as internal frostbite.
When fully sublimated, dry ice does not leave behind any waste material that requires disposal. Simply leaving the dry ice in the cooler in a ventilated area allows it to return to gaseous form safely. It should never be disposed of down the drain as it may freeze pipes.
Dry ice poses serious health and safety risks. For example:
- Coming into direct skin contact with dry ice can cause immediate frostbite
- Ingesting dry ice can cause internal tissue damage from frostbite or ruptures due to carbon dioxide buildup
- Inhaling large quantities of the carbon dioxide emitted due to sublimation can lead to asphyxiation
When using dry ice, it is necessary to keep the following in mind to avoid the above risks:
- Use gloves, tongs, and other safety equipment when handling dry ice to prevent direct skin contact
- Be aware of dry ice in consumable goods and limit its use when imbibing alcoholic beverages
- Ensure good air circulation and ventilation to reduce carbon dioxide buildup within an area
Dry ice blasting uses soft dry ice, which is propelled at supersonic speed, to create mini-explosions on the surface so that any undesirable contaminant is lifted off without abrasion. The cold temperature of the dry ice creates a micro-thermal shock between the surface contaminant and the substrate, further eliminating the contaminant by cracking and delaminating it. Instead of using hard abrasive media, such as sand, plastic bead or soda blasting to impact and grind on a surface in an accelerated, pressurised stream, dry ice blasting cleans with minimal, if any, surface damage. The process is also known by several other names including cryogenic cleaning, dry ice cleaning, CO2 blasting, dry ice dusting, and even as environmentally sustainable cleaning.
The process is a non-abrasive, nonflammable and non-conductive cleaning method. There is no by-product as it is totally dry. This means that it is very versatile and can be used in a wide range of general cleaning applications. It also allows most items to be cleaned in place without the need for time-consuming and inconvenient disassembly. The unique characteristics of dry ice make it the perfect clean-in-place solution.
The operational efficiency of dry ice can be beneficial in many different sectors, such as the food and drink manufacturing and packaging industry; in the industrial sector, particularly where paint, resins, glue, plastics or rubber are being used and made; in factories where machines, engines and tools are being used, crafted and constructed; in the printing industry with ink injection print heads; and where there is solid carbon dust such as in the foundry industry and in industrial ovens. It can be used to remove production residue, release agents, contaminants, paints, oils and bio-films and is particularly useful where waste is hardened and caked-on, where there is fire damage, in listed and historic buildings, and is especially effective for hard to reach places such as pipework areas. The process is versatile and can be as gentle as dusting smoke damage from books or as aggressive as removing weld slag from tooling.
It depends on what you’re cleaning. If you’re removing a brittle contaminant such as paint, the process creates a compression tension wave between the coating and the substrate. This wave has enough energy to overcome the bonding strength and literally pop the coating off from the inside out. If you’re removing a malleable or viscous coating such as oil, grease or wax, the cleaning action is a flushing process similar to high-pressure water. When the particles hit, they compress and mushroom out, creating a high-velocity snow flow that actually flushes the surface.
CO2 blasting equipment is used in foundries worldwide to clean core boxes and permanent molds. Not only does dry ice blasting increase production by decreasing downtime, but it also eliminates mold damage, preserving the critical tolerances and greatly extending the life of the expensive tooling. You don’t have to be an industrial giant to enjoy the cost benefits of CO2. There are a large number of small to medium-sized foundries in the China and abroad who successfully use DRYICEJET equipment to clean.
Yes, with proper ventilation. Because CO2 is 40% heavier than air, placement of exhaust vents at or near ground level is recommended when blasting in an enclosed area. In an open shop environment, existing ventilation is sufficient to prevent undue CO2 buildup.
Sandblasting works like a chisel, but dry ice blasting works like a spatula. The sand cuts or chisels the contaminant, while the dry ice lifts it after loosening it.
In addition, sandblasting generates a lot of dust, and it is generally not possible to clean in place.
You can clean up to three or five times faster when the equipment is hot. Adherence to the majority of contaminants is lower at higher temperatures. The dry ice sublimes at the time of impact, unlike the sandblasting that leaves the abrasive media trapped.
Abrasive cleaning methods are generally banned on-site in the industries.
A dry ice blasting machine and dry ice are necessary. In addition, access to power supply and compressed-air source are necessary.
No, the dry ice jet is non-conductive as long as the compressed air used is dry.
DRYICEJET Dry ice blasting machines are engineered from high-quality components that require a minimum of maintenance. The machines were designed to enable service and maintenance work to be performed by end-users without the need for specialists. All service and maintenance routines are illustrated in Instruction manual that accompanies the machine.
Yes. Dry ice blasting is ideal for the food industry, as the cleaning process does not involve the use of water or chemicals. The various applications of dry ice blasting in the food industry clearly illustrate just how versatile the system is. The process is used to remove baked-on food deposits from ovens and to clean mixers and molds. It can remove paper and adhesives from packaging machinery. Dry ice blasting can be used on plastic and metal surfaces irrespective of whether the object to be cleaned is hot or cold.
Yes. Dry ice blasting can be used to clean dirt and soot from electronics without making them wet or using chemicals. Dry ice blasting can be used on units of up to 30 kW without disconnecting the power supply. Unexpected power failure and resulting production shutdown can be avoided by periodically cleaning electronic components.
Yes. Dry ice blasting effectively removes adhesive residues and other dirt from packaging machinery. This improves package line flow considerably and can reduce the incidence of unexpected shutdown. Clean adhesive nozzles and chain drives can result in large savings in the purchase of spare parts.
Yes. Dry ice blasting is an effective means of removing wet and dry ink, powder, paper dust and adhesive residues. This keeps the number of unexpected shutdowns to a minimum, improves product quality and reduces maintenance time.
Yes. Dry ice blasting can beneficially be used to clean molds during production. This reduces downtime. Mold surfaces are not damaged, as the process is very gentle.
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