DRY ICE BLASTING

A Green Alternative

What is Dry Ice Blasting?

Dry Ice Blasting is an environmentally responsible process and can help companies adhere to their environmental policy and chemical use targets.

Dry Ice Blasting is a clean and safe method of cleaning.

Dry ice cleaning has been approved by:

  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • US Department of Agriculture (UDSA)
  • Food Standards Agency (FSA)

Dry Ice media blasting is a technique that can be used to clean equipment and property in a way that is environmentally advantageous and it has minimal impact on the surface being cleaned.

Contaminants are removed from the substrate by the impact of the Dry Ice crystals. The particles compresses, and mushrooms out, creating a high-velocity snow flow that flushes the surface. The dry ice shears and lifts the contaminant off the surface with no damage and leaves no residual waste. This shearing or lifting force is caused by the sublimation (transition direct from solid to gas) of the dry-ice particles resulting in a sudden 800-fold increase in volume of the gas directed along the plane of the substrate.

This unique property means that the dry ice blast medium simply disappears, leaving only the original contaminant to be disposed of. In addition, cleaning in water sensitive areas (e.g., in the vicinity of electrical cabinets) is now practical. CO2 gas is an insulator with a dielectric strength of 72kV/inch. It is ideal for work in and around underground enclosures.

CO2 Blasting and Switch Gear Maintenance

Power Generation professionals know that one key to peak performance is clean electrical equipment. However, the demand to keep the equipment running often leads to deferred cleaning and maintenance, reduced efficiency, and in some cases, outages caused by failure.

Dry Ice Blasting is the most effective, safest, and cleanest way of cleaning power generation equipment. From small electric motors to power stations, all can be cleaned without the use of chemicals. It is a good alternative to traditional Sand Blasting, Corn Blasting or Walnut Blasting.

Dry Ice Blasting provides a non-conductive, environmentally responsible cleaning process that allows equipment to be cleaned in-place, without cool down or disassembly. In addition, the outage time typically needed for cleaning can be eliminated.

Carbon, grease, and dirt contribute to low megohm readings as well as catastrophic equipment failure. Dry ice cleaning removes these contaminants improving readings and restores machine efficiency.

Examples of equipment that Dry Ice blasting has been successfully used on:

  • Underground Transformers
  • Underground Switch Gear
  • Generator Tear Down
  • Core Cleaning
  • Rotors and Stator Cleaning
  • Power Transformer Deep Cleaning and Tear Downs
  • Circuit Breakers and Contact Maintenance
  • AC/DC Motors
  • Insulators

Benefits of Dry Ice blasting electrical equipment:

  • Non-conductive
  • Non-abrasive
  • Eliminate secondary waste
  • Environmentally responsible
  • Eliminates outage time for cleaning

Environmental Commitment

The dry ice used in our process is produced by capturing and recycling CO2 from existing industrial processes such as fermentation and petrochemical refining. The CO2 given off by the above production processes is captured and stored without losses until needed. When the CO2 is returned to the atmosphere during the blasting process, no new CO2 is produced. Instead, only the original CO2 by-product is released. This aspect helps companies that have the need for a small ecological footprint to achieve their goals, while being financially competitive. There is a net zero environmental footprint with this procedure.

Some Other Facts:

  • Dry Ice Blasting is clean and safe
  • Dry ice is non-toxic, non-hazardous and inhibits mold and bacteria growth
  • Dry ice blasting is safe to use with food processing equipment
  • Dry ice blasting does not release harmful gases into the atmosphere
  • Dry ice blasting does not generate secondary waste
  • Dry ice blasting reduces or eliminates employee exposure to (and corporate liability from) the use of dangerous chemical cleaning agents.
  • Dry ice blasting technology dramatically eliminates damage to rubber elbows and conductor insulation.