Explanations of cryogenic cleaning

Dry ice cleaning in a few words…

Dry ice blasting is a cleanliness technique that uses dry ice and its physical properties as a means of instantly removing pollution or dirt

Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) has the hardness of chalk, so this process gently cleans surfaces. To discover all the advantages of this industrial cleaning technology, click on the link at the bottom of the page, advantages of cryogenic cleaning.

The Cryoblaster® process uses the projection of dry ice by means of blasters and compressed air. See illustration below.

Explanations of dry ice cleaning in video…

The dry ice in the form of 3 mm pellets is introduced into the blaster inside the tank or hopper (1).

After connecting the compressed air supply (compressor or factory pressurized air network) (2) and starting the dry ice cleaning unit, the dry ice is mixed with the compressed air stream inside the blaster (3) and then is propelled to the works of a firing hose (4).

Finally, dry ice is projected onto the surfaces to be cleaned using a gun from a supersonic speed spray nozzle (5).

Cryogenic cleaning is based on the simultaneous action of 3 physical phenomena

See video below

Dry ice cleaning service on electrical cabinet…

2- Thermal differential

The temperature of dry ice pellets is very low of -78.5 °C and gives the cryogenic cleaning process undeniable thermodynamic properties!

Depending on the type of pollution or contaminant being treated, the temperature difference between the dry ice and the support, or thermal shock, can occur. As the temperature of a contaminant or pollution decreases, it becomes brittle, allowing the impact of pellets to break up the pollutant.

The thermal gradient or differential between two different materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion can also facilitate the decohesion of the pollutant from the support. This thermal shock or thermal differential is more evident when cleaning by cryogenics a non-metallic coating (e.g. electrical cabinets covered with dry residues) or a contaminant linked to a metal substrate (e.g. poteyage on foundry mold)

The hotterthe temperature of the surface to be treated, the faster and more economical the cryogenic cleaning process is (e.g. aluminum foundry gravity mold).
Many companies are interested in the cryogenic cleaning process, but are concerned about the reaction of their tools to the cold of dry ice: dStudies have shown that the temperature drop occurs only on the surface, so there is no risk of thermal stress in the metal mass of the substrate with
dry ice cleaning
. Ex: plastics moulds.

3- Sublimation

On impact dry ice sublimates (transition from the solid state to the gaseous state) in a ratio of 1 to 700. We can talk about micro-explosions.

The dirt is literally blown out. All that remains is to suck up the dirt or residue. The treatment is dry and does not generate secondary waste unlike the use of a pressure washer or a sandblaster.

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Cryogenic cleaning: principle of action

Discover additional information on the mechanism of cryogenic cleaning,in High Definitionvideo.