5 Things You Didn’t Know About Dry Ice Blasting

It Eliminates Equipment Damage

One of the big differences between dry ice blasting and other blasting methods is the nonabrasive nature of the dry ice pellets. Other blasting media like sand or metal shots remove part of the surface as it is removing the contaminant. Overtime this cause significant wear on machinery, which leads to breakage, costly repairs, or replacements.

Increased Safety

Contrary to what your high school science teacher told you, dry ice is very safe, especially compared to other blasting media. I know what you’re thinking; how can something that’s -109˚F (or -79˚C) be safe?  It’s nontoxic, nonhazardous, flame resistant, and it’s not electrically conductive. Ice blasting is a lot safer to handle than chemicals and solvents too, because it doesn’t need to be disposed of afterward.

No Residual Buildup

Dry ice blasting is often compared to magic because once the job is done, POOF! The pellets disappear. While other blasting media builds up in hard to reach places, dry ice pellets sublimate on contact. This means while Mr. Sandblaster is cleaning up after the clean up, Mr. Dry Ice Blaster is already done with his job. This means machine parts can be cleaned more frequently without the lengthy downtime.

More Effective

I know, I know, everybody says their cleaning method is better than everyone else’s, but dry ice blasting is scientifically proven to be more effective than other methods. The not so secret to success of dry ice blasting lies in the combined strength of the high traveling speed of the dry ice pellets and the thermal effect of the dry ice. The speed of the pellets causes fractures in the contaminant and the low temperature allows the pellets to penetrate it; aiding in the easy removal of the substrate.

It’s fun!

While this shouldn’t be your main reason for purchasing dry ice blasting equipment, the effectiveness and ease of use make dry ice blasting more enjoyable than other cleaning methods. How else can you increase the efficiency and productivity of your plant while cleaning?