The
following are responses to
the most commonly asked questions
regarding the dry ice blast
cleaning technology. These
are not intended to be answers
for all situations and circumstances,
however; they provide an overall
general response to most concerns
and questions.
How
does the cold affect the materials
being cleaned?
What
happens to the material being
removed?
Why
is there no residual moisture
to the ice blasting process?
How fast is
the dry ice blast cleaning
process?
What is the
response time for supporting
my cleaning needs:
How much does
it cost?
What are
the electrical power requirements
for CO2 cleaning:
Access to
my plant is extremely limited.
How far from the work areas
can you stage the compressor?
My customer
has never heard of this process.
Can you provide references
that have similar requirements?
Q:
How does the cold
affect the materials being
cleaned?
A: Upon impact, the dry ice
pellets sublimate immediately
to gaseous carbon dioxide.
The dwell time of the dry
ice pellets on the surface
material is minimal and other
than very slight sub cooling
of the surface significant
heat transfer does not take
place. The surface being cleaned
will have a non-appreciable
drop in temperature. Contrary
to popular opinion, the surface
is not frozen. This would
cause a brittle state and
causing the possibility of
shattering.
top
Q: What
happens to the material being
removed?
A: The majority of removed
material falls to the floor
within a 15 foot radius and
is simply vacuumed into a
commercial shop vacuum system.
However, if airborne dust
is a concern, a tented enclosure
can be erected and most particles
are drawn into a dust collector
as part of our air handling
system. In dealing with high
levels of oil, hand cleaning
using commercial wiping cloths
is first performed to remove
as much oil as possible followed
by the blast cleaning. Oil
is usually collected in an
absorbent floor covering and
disposed of. As part of our
cleaning
IceSolv
includes the removal of all
removed materials and placement
into customer provided containers.
For example, the total material
removed from most mid-sized
motor cleanings is approximately
3 to 6 inches in a 15 gallon
capacity shop vacuum.
top
Q:
Why is there no residual
moisture to the ice blasting
process?
A: The term “ice”
is an idiom for dry ice. There
is no water in carbon dioxide.
Since the dry ice sublimates
from a solid directly to a
gas upon impact, it is a virtual
impossibility to leave moisture
from the dry ice itself.
top
Q:
How fast is the dry
ice blast cleaning process?
A: It depends upon the contaminant,
time elapsed since last cleaning,
tenting and ventilation requirements,
and any hidden problems discovered
during the cleaning process
(example; failed insulation
materials hidden by grease
or carbon coverings). However,
in most cases, the overall
cleaning process is much faster
than conventional cleaning
methods using corn cob, walnut
shells, or other cleaning
applications, when advance
preparation time and post
cleanups are considered. A
typical generator of approximately
20 feet long by 10 feet in
diameter may be cleaned in
less than 16 hours from start
to finish. If a comparison
is performed using straight
production rate (sq.ft/minute
between dry ice blast and
an abrasive type blast cleaning),
dry ice blasting is slower
because of its nonabrasive
qualities. However, an overall
time comparison tilts the
scales in the favor of dry
ice blast cleaning. This is
because there is no drying
or baking times involved with
dry ice blast cleaning and
time is significantly reduced
for cleanup and waste disposal.
top
Q:
What is the response
time for supporting my cleaning
needs?
A: Within a 500 miles radius
of our main office located
in Palmyra, PA, IceSolv can
often be on site supporting
your blast cleaning within
twenty-four hours. Our equipment
is kept in a constant state
of readiness. The 24-hour
period is required only for
the manufacturing and delivery
of dry ice pellets.
top
Q:
How much does it cost?
A: Taking into consideration
factors such as waste disposal
costs and time savings, dry
ice blast cleaning is more
economical than solvent or
other cleaning technologies.
Less follow-up cleaning problems
exist with dry ice blast cleaning.
Cleaning material residues
are not a problem with the
dry ice blast cleaning technology
and when baking and drying
times are taken into consideration,
dry ice cleaning is even more
economical. While CO2 cleaning
may have a high hourly cost,
when all alternatives are
considered along with the
disposal costs and down time
associated with these alternatives,
CO2 can be a very economical
alternative.
top
Q:
What are the electrical
power requirements for CO2
cleaning?
A: We require simple 110V,
single phase, 15 to 20 amp
service for our portable lighting,
dust collection systems, drying
system and industrial vacuums.
The dry ice blast system itself
is totally pneumatic and operates
completely off of propellant
gas for operation of controls
and system functions. Generators
can be provided if needed.
top
Q:
Access to my plant
is extremely limited. How
far from the work areas can
you stage the compressor?
A: We normally try to keep
the hose run at 300 feet or
less, but under extreme conditions
we are capable of running
the hose up to 700 or 800
feet
top
Q:
My customer has never
heard of this process. Can
you provide references that
have similar requirements?
A: IceSolv has an extensive
database of customers and
the various applications we
have utilized. Upon request,
we can supply a customized
reference list.
top
|
