What is Dry Ice Blasting?

First, what is dry ice?

Dry ice is the solid form of C02, carbon dioxide, which is found naturally in the earth's atmosphere.  We're used to it as a gas we breathe out, but at temperatures below -109 degrees Fahrenheit it is found in its solid form.  One of the unique features of C02 is that it sublimates directly from a solid to a gas, not ever having passed through the liquid state.

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Where does dry ice come from?

Our suppliers reclaim C02 from other industrial processes and sell it to us in 500 lb quantities of high density pellets, perfect for use as a blast cleaning media.  

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What sets dry ice blasting apart from other types of media blasting?

Dry ice is a relatively soft blast media and will not harm the substrate (surface) being cleaned.  The extreme cold temperature of dry ice causes a thermodynamic shock at the surface, resulting in attached contaminants losing their adhesion.  When dry ice changes to a gaseous state at impact, it expands exponentially which in addition to the huge volume of blasting air (185 cubic feet/min) helps sweep away all contaminants.  Most important is that dry ice "disappears" and turns to a gas when blasted.  This means no secondary waste cleanup.   

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