Chemical Industry
Dry Ice Blasting for Chemical Equipment Cleaning
Chemical processing equipment is regularly exposed to oil sludge, production residue, grease, chemical buildup, and other contaminants that can reduce operational efficiency and increase maintenance requirements.
Dry ice blasting provides a fast, non-abrasive cleaning method for tanks, pipelines, reactors, vessels, heat exchangers, boilers, mixers, and other chemical processing equipment. Because dry ice sublimates upon impact, the process leaves no secondary blasting media behind and allows many systems to be cleaned in place with little to no disassembly.
Compared to traditional cleaning methods, dry ice blasting helps reduce maintenance downtime, improve operational efficiency, and extend equipment life while eliminating the need for additional cleaning chemicals.
WHY DRY ICE BLASTING?
Efficiency and effectiveness are essential in the chemical industry. Similar to sand blasting, bead blasting or soda blasting, dry ice blasting is a cleaning method that accelerates particles in a pressurized air stream toward a surface. The difference? Dry ice is non-conductive, chemically inert, non-poisonous, nonflammable, and does not require additional abrasives, water or chemicals. Plus, there’s no secondary waste, making this a game-changer in the chemical industry.
The dry ice performance here is more complex than its typical use you may think of at concerts or Halloween functions. Through sublimation, where carbon dioxide instantly changes from a solid to a gas, the pellets create mini-explosions upon impact to clean nearly any surface effectively. Leaving behind no residue, dry ice blasting is one of the most efficient and sustainable methods to clean in an industrial or domestic area.
Dry ice blasting allows for cleaning in place, with little to no disassembly; no additional materials; reduces downtime; eliminates product damage; and is environmentally friendly.
Because it does not leave a residue, dry ice blasting is ideal for surface preparation/sanitization for tanks, pipelines, vessels, boilers, etc. Prepare your surface with dry ice blasting and you’ll be ready immediately.
Recommended Dry Ice Blasting Equipment for Chemical Processing
Different chemical processing environments require different cleaning capacities. Nu-Ice manufactures Commando® dry ice blasting equipment designed for everything from routine maintenance to heavy-duty industrial cleaning.
Commando® 40 PRO Dry Ice Blaster
Ideal for precision cleaning where adjustable blasting pressure and pellet feed provide greater control.
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Commando® 55 Dry Ice Blaster
A versatile industrial dry ice blaster designed for routine maintenance and general chemical processing applications.
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Commando® 80 Dry Ice Blaster
Designed for continuous industrial operation and demanding chemical manufacturing environments.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can dry ice blasting clean chemical processing equipment?
Yes. Dry ice blasting is commonly used to clean tanks, vessels, pipelines, reactors, heat exchangers, boilers, mixers, and other chemical processing equipment without introducing water or additional cleaning chemicals.
Does dry ice blasting damage equipment?
No. Dry ice blasting is a non-abrasive cleaning method that removes contaminants while helping protect sensitive equipment when appropriate blasting settings are used.
What contaminants can dry ice blasting remove?
Dry ice blasting is commonly used to remove grease, oils, sludge, production residue, carbon deposits, adhesives, and other contaminants found throughout chemical processing facilities.
Does dry ice blasting require equipment disassembly?
Many applications require little to no equipment disassembly, allowing facilities to reduce maintenance time and return equipment to service more quickly.
Which Commando® dry ice blaster is best for chemical processing?
The best machine depends on the size of your facility, cleaning requirements, and production environment. Nu-Ice offers several Commando® models designed for different industrial cleaning applications.
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Explore additional resources to learn more about industrial dry ice blasting and Nu-Ice equipment.
- Dry Ice Blasting Applications
- What Is Dry Ice Blasting?
- Browse Commando® Dry Ice Blasters
- Contact Nu-Ice
BENEFITS OF DRY ICE BLASTING IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
Imagine you’re a professional in the chemical industry. You know that oil sludge is building up on your machinery to the point where the equipment can malfunction or break.
There are a few options available; maybe acetone and IPA come to mind as being popular. You will inevitably need to clean oil residue from industrial tanks, vessels and boilers, but you no longer have to add additional chemicals to clean this up. Dry ice blasting changes how the chemical industry maintains the longevity of machinery and cleans materials.
Efficiency
Dry ice blasting mitigates the time you’re waiting for cleaning or preparation. Because it allows for equipment to be cleaned while hot and online, you reduce shutdown times and perform preventative maintenance or spot cleaning without disruption. Not to mention, the effectiveness of the CO2 allows for faster and more precise cleaning. Plus, with no secondary waste, you’re back to production in no time. Dry ice blasting does not require heavy cleanup; however, the waste products such as dislodged sludge can be swept up or vacuumed depending on the containment.
Not only is dry ice blasting efficient, but it is also reliable. All Commando® dry ice blasting machines feature the BlitzFeed® patented freeze-less dry ice delivery system for superior pellet feeding. The design of this machine is engineered to prevent machine freeze-ups and ice blockages.
Reduce Costs
Dry ice is non-conductive, chemically inert, non-poisonous, nonflammable and does not require additional abrasives; there’s a low coefficient of friction, meaning you won’t damage expensive equipment. Replacement or repair costs related to cleaning issues will be a thing of the past. Without secondary waste, you’re also eliminating the cost of extra cleanup and disposal.
Performing preventative maintenance will prolong the life of the equipment, so you’re spending less money and time on the frequent replacement of expensive tanks or pipelines.
Environmentally Responsible
Approved by the EPA, FDA, and USDA, dry ice blasting does not produce any secondary waste or additional pollutants that would otherwise end up in our waterways. From production to application, dry ice blasting is an environmentally friendly way to clean chemicals. Solid CO2 pellets, also known as “blasting rice,” are readily available through dedicated dry ice distributors and many industrial gas distributors. There is no production subjecting additional greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
WHY NU-ICE?
With 10+ years of experience, which extends to our assembly facility as well, Nu-Ice provides dry ice blasting for unrivaled cleaning power without harmful chemicals. After extensive research, design and testing, we developed a line of high-performance dry ice blasting machines for an environmentally friendly cleaning solution.
The Commando® line of dry ice blasters is ideal for various applications, and dry ice is the preferred cleaning method for food processing equipment, chemical machinery, printing instruments, welding cells, fire restoration, historical restoration, power generation equipment and more. Using only standard dry ice pellets, Commando® dry ice blasting machines easily remove production residue, grease, oils, tar, mold and other materials.
As a family and veteran-owned company based in Jackson, Michigan, we’re proud to say all of our dry ice blasting machines and accessories are proudly Made in the USA.
