FAQ dry ice blasting
Cleaning with dry ice is a relatively young process and therefore raises one or two questions. You can find some frequently asked questions and their answers here.
If your question is not included, do not hesitate to contact us. Our experienced employees are at your disposal with help and advice.
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Questions about dry ice blasting application
In which cases can dry ice blasting be used?
Since dry ice blasting can be used almost anywhere where fast, effective and gentle surface cleaning is desired, we give some examples here.
Areas of application are, for example, the automotive, food and chemical industries.
This includes the cleaning of moulds/tools and machines in thermoplastic, duroplastic and elastomer processing.
We find other areas of application in the construction sector, such as cleaning facades and listed buildings.
The dry ice cleaning of vehicles such as cars, trucks, vintage cars, buses and industrial trucks is also to be emphasized by this effective cleaning method.
Dry ice blasting can be used on boats and ships to remove osmosis and antifouling.
This is just a small excerpt from the versatile application possibilities of dry ice blasting.
What are the benefits of dry ice cleaning?
The residue and solvent-free cleaning with dry ice is a major advantage of this process. Since dry ice cleaning, for example in the plastics industry, often means that molds/tools no longer need to be dismantled, production interruptions are significantly reduced, and wage and personnel costs are also reduced.
Dry ice blasting is not abrasive, ie it is gentle on the surfaces.
Dry ice leaves no residue or moisture.
Since dry ice leaves no secondary waste, there are no disposal costs.
It's absolutely eco-friendly!
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Can the dry ice cleaning process also be used for paint stripping?
Yes, paint and varnish can be removed from wood, stone, concrete, asphalt, plastic and metal. In principle, preliminary tests should be carried out. Depending on the paint system / paint structure, the effectiveness of paint stripping can be greatly increased by upgrading our systems with an abrasive set (addition of an approved additive).
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Questions about dry ice and the procedure of dry ice blasting
What is dry ice?
Dry ice is solid (frozen) CO2 with a temperature of -78.5 °C. It is made from recovered CO2, which is usually produced in industrial processes (e.g. production of cement, fertilizers, etc.).
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How does dry ice cleaning work?
Dry ice blasting is similar to sandblasting. Dry ice pellets are accelerated by means of compressed air and hit the surface to be cleaned. A thermal reaction takes place: due to the low temperature of the dry ice pellets of -78.5 °C, the contamination freezes and due to this thermal shock on the surface, the contamination becomes cracked and brittle. The subsequent dry ice pellets penetrate these cracks and loosen the contamination. During this process, the dry ice pellets evaporate and sublime (i.e. go directly from the solid to the gaseous state).
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What do I have to consider when handling dry ice?
Make sure that children and unauthorized persons have no access to the dry ice - it is not ice cream and must not be sucked on or added to drinks!
Do not touch with bare hands - direct skin contact can cause cold burns, always wear suitable protective gloves.
Wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) during use.
The dry ice pellets must not come into contact with moisture, otherwise they will clump together.
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What is the best way to store dry ice?
Since dry ice has a temperature of -78.5°C, it must be stored in thick-walled styrofoam boxes or specially developed plastic boxes.
The dry ice must be stored in well-ventilated places/rooms.
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How long does dry ice last?
If stored properly, approx. 3 - 4 days, this also depends on the amount of dry ice.
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Questions about the technical requirements for dry ice cleaning
What are the differences between one and two hose systems?
With the two-hose system, compressed air and dry ice are routed in separate hoses to the blasting gun and only mixed there. As a result, the loss through sublimation (ie the transition of the solid ice pellets into the gaseous state of aggregation) is significantly lower. The Venturi effect creates a negative pressure in the blasting gun, which transports the ice pellets to the blasting gun. This reduces the dry ice consumption.
With the one-hose system, on the other hand, compressed air and dry ice are fed through a hose and the higher pressure in the hose means that greater sublimation takes place. A one-hose system tends to have a higher cleaning performance, but also a higher consumption of dry ice.
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What do I need for dry ice cleaning?
Of course, a dry ice blasting device with hose and blasting gun/nozzle.
A suitable compressor or access to a compressed air supply (see also following question).
A 230V power connection, depending on the type of system.
Sufficient quantity of dry ice pellets.
Your personal protective equipment (PPE), i.e. dust mask/respirator, hearing protection, safety glasses, thermal gloves, protective suit and safety shoes.
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How much air is needed for effective cleaning?
Depending on the type of system, the inlet pressure should be between 6 and 15 bar.
The required compressed air volume should be between 590 l/min and 9,500 l/min.
For example, our DC 50 device works with a volume of 590 l/min up to 2,350 l/min. Our DC 280, on the other hand, requires between 3,500 l/min and 9,500 l/min.
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