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Dry Ice Blasting FAQs
Is Dry Ice Blasting as Effective as Traditional Cleaning Methods?
Yes, In the vast majority of cases, dry ice blasting will be as effective as traditional cleaning methods.
Does Dry Ice Blasting Cause Condensation?
Condensation will normally not occur when cleaning warm surfaces, as the temperature of the surface will remain above the dew point. To prevent condensation occurring in connection with intensive cleaning or when cleaning is performed in cold locations, the use of heat lamps, fan heaters or heated compressed air is recommended.
Which Materials Can Withstand Dry Ice Blasting?
As the process is dry and non-abrasive, any material can be cleaned by dry ice blasting without ill effects. For example, Perspex and highly polished aluminum can be treated without the surface becoming matt.
Does Dry Ice Blasting have Thermal Effects on Treated Objects?
No. Temperature changes in machinery during dry ice blasting are generally small in comparison with changes occurring during normal operation.
Can I use Dry Ice Blasting to Clean Hot Machinery While It is Running?
Yes. Faster and more effective cleaning can often be achieved when the object to cleaned is hot.
Can I minimize Downtime - or Avoid It Entirely?
Yes. In many cases it will be possible to clean machinery without shutting it down. In other cases, it will be possible to reduce the duration of shutdowns for cleaning purposes, as cleaned surfaces remain dry.
Does Dry Ice Blasting Damage the Underlying Surface?
No. Blasting Pressure can be adjusted to suit the material to be treated so that coatings can be removed without damaging the underlying material itself. This means that dry ice blasting can also be used on easily-damaged materials like nickel, chromium and soft aluminum.
Which Cleaning Methods can be Replaced with Advantage by Dry Ice Blasting?
Advantages can be gained from replacing methods such as sand blasting, high pressure hosing and manual cleaning (which requires considerable resources and the use of hazardous, environmentally hostile chemicals) with dry ice blasting, which is an extremely environmentally friendly process.
Can I use Dry Ice Blasting in Places, or on Materials, where Traditional Methods cannot be used?
Yes. As dry ice blasting is a clean and dry process, it can be used with advantage instead of traditional methods that leave detergent residues. The process has also been approved for use in the food industry.
Does the dry Ice Jet Conduct Electricity?
No, the dry ice jet is non-conductive as long as the compressed air used is dry.
Do Dry Ice Pellets Rebound?
When they hit a surface, dry ice pellets change from solid to vapor form. Therefore, in general, they do not rebound. As a rule, removed material is carried away by the compressed-air jet. Safety goggles should however always be worn when dry ice blasting.
How should Dry Ice be Stored?
Dry ice pellets are supplied in insulated containers. These containers can be moved to various application sites on fork-lift trucks or pallet lifters. Dry ice pellets can be kept in these containers for about 4-8 days depending on ambient temperature and container quality. Due to sublimation, a loss of about 4% of container content should be expected every 24 hours.