Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Facts Regarding Dry Ice Blasting Services

By John Parker


Many methods have been invented for cleaning surfaces and objects. Carbon dioxide cleaning is one of the most widely used methods in the cleaning industry. Under carbon dioxide cleaning, there is dry ice blasting. This method involves cleaning surfaces using carbon dioxide gas in solid form. The solid is pressurized and then directed at a high speed towards the surface that needs to be cleaned. This is what dry ice blasting services are all about.

Ice blasting is another method that can be used in the place of solid carbondioxide basting. Here, water ice is used in cleaning surfaces. Plastic sand blasting, soda blasting and sand blasting are all methods that fall under abrasive cleaning. In addition to the methods mentioned, there are other several abrasive materials that can be used. Abrasive medium that is used makes the various methods to be different from one another.

In dry ice blasting, pellets of solid carbondioxide are thrust by the blasting machine at very high speeds on the surfaces to be cleaned. The pellets are very soft and relatively less dense than other materials used in blasting such as sand and soda. During the process the solid carbondioxide sublimes immediately it comes into contact with the surface being cleaned. With this effect no solid is left behind in the site after the process.

The instant sublimation of the pellets implies that minimum kinetic energy is transferred to the surface being cleaned. As such, the chance of the surface being ruined by the pellets is very low. This makes the method safe for even delicate surfaces like glass. The sublimation of pellets also leaves no residue on surfaces being cleaned.

Another importance of the sublimation is that it absorbs the heat generated during the cleaning leading to the production of shear stresses. Shear stresses results from thermal shocks. The absorption of heat from the surfaces being cleaned makes the dirt particles and contaminants to be easily removed. This improves the cleaning capability of the pellets. Surfaces that conduct heat are more effective and are suitable for this cleaning method.

Application of this method is done in many fields. Cleaning of food processing equipment require this type of method because it helps in removing Escolar, salmonella enteritis, and Listeria monocytogenes among other microorganisms. After using this method one cannot detect microorganisms through conventional microbiological methods. This is because they are removed effectively. Cleaning of equipment without disassembling them can be done when this technique is applied.

Dry ice blasting is advantageous as it does not cause electrical or fire dangers. It is used mostly applied in aerospace and semiconductor industries. However it is being introduced into other industries and is developing at very fast rate. This method can be used in place of other solvent-type of cleaning methods as it has numerous advantages.

Carbon dioxide is a very dangerous substance if its concentration rises above one percent. It is also known to cause asphyxia by displacing oxygen. As such, this method of cleaning should be used in well-ventilated rooms. Exhaust vents should be installed close to the ground so that the gas can be vented outside easily.




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