How Dry Ice Blasting Supports Equipment Cleaning Without Disassembly

When carbon dioxide solidifies, it turns into dry ice — a substance with unique properties and remarkable applications across industries. In the food and beverage sector, it is used to maintain the freshness of produce over long distances. In dermatologists clinics, it is a promising solution for removing warts and moles.

But probably its most widespread application is in dry ice blasting. In this technique, dry ice is pressurized into an air stream and directed at a piece of equipment to give it a proper clean. What makes dry ice perfect for this?

nexAir, a leading supplier of dry ice across the Southeast, explains.

Unique Characteristics of Dry Ice

There are many differences between dry ice and regular ice. Many of these distinctions are the reason dry ice has so many unique applications. Most obviously, it isn’t made up of water but CO2; so it doesn’t release moisture at any point of its lifecycle. Beyond that:

• It reaches an incredibly low temperature of -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit.
• It doesn’t melt like regular ice. Instead, by a process known as sublimation, it turns directly into its gaseous form.
• It is odorless, non-toxic, and colorless.
• It carries and leaves behind no contaminants.

Electrical equipment particularly benefits from all these traits, which is why dry ice blasting is so commonplace in most factories. Water is a good conductor of water, which makes it dangerous to attempt most traditional forms of cleaning. Dry Ice, on the other hand, leaves behind no moisture, or contaminants, making it safer, and more reliable.

This lack of residue or waste also makes dry ice blasting a highly-sustainable practice.

Understanding the Dry Ice Blasting Process

To properly clean a piece of equipment, a professional with the right KnowHow will first select the dry ice pellet size and pressure. They will then target a surface, or piece of equipment with high-velocity dry ice pellets. This shrinks and lifts the contaminants. The dry ice then instantly vaporizes, leaving you with a neat pile of debris to collect.

This easy process makes it ideal for all materials and purposes. It can be used to clean paint, remove mold, and, of course, for safely cleaning equipment without disassembly. It can also be used on an array of machine parts and volatile electrical components.

When used on robotic welding arms, for example, the pellets can get spatter out of the tips, nozzles, and arms without affecting the internal mechanics. Dry ice leaves behind no water residue, abrasions, or chemical residues. Plus, the blast cleaning can be done during a shift change, or break — and doesn’t need a dedicated maintenance schedule.

How to Benefit from Dry Ice Blasting

Dry ice blasting has significant benefits for factories with heavy equipment. The fact that it is so quick and easy, means minimal downtime, more efficiency, and reduced expenses. At the same time, it is non-toxic, sustainable and highly-effective.

At nexAir, we understand the value of dry ice more than most. For over 80 years, we’ve been one of the leading suppliers of welding supplies, industrial gas, and dry ice to industries across the Southeast. We’ve helped teams of all sizes Forge Forward with our premium selection of Dry Ice. You can find the whole range on nexAir NOW.