Dry Ice Blasting

Clean without damage. No water, no media, no teardown.

How it works

Contaminant out. Surface untouched.

Solid CO₂ pellets hit the surface at −109 °F. The impact cracks the contaminant, the cold makes it brittle and shrinks it off the substrate, then the pellet flashes to gas — expanding 800 times — and blows the debris clear. The media disappears. The only thing on the floor is what was stuck to your equipment.

2 Mohs, softer than a fingernail · ~100 CFM at 80 psi · 30 CFM for fine-particle work

What it removes

GreaseOilCarbon and sootMold releaseAdhesivesInkResinUnbonded oversprayMold and mildewSmoke and charFood soils

CO₂ pellet at −109 °FMedia sublimates — nothing to sweep up

01Pellet hits02Cold embrittles03Gas lifts it clear

Right for

✓Molds and tooling — cleaned hot, in the press, no teardown

✓Electrical panels, motors, switchgear, PLC enclosures

✓Food equipment — ovens, smokehouses, conveyors, slicers

✓Presses, anilox rolls, welding fixtures, robot arms

✓Fire-damaged framing, joists, decking, steel, masonry

✓Historic brick, stone and timber

No teardownNo waterNo media cleanupNon-conductive

Wrong for

✕Coating prepDry ice leaves no anchor profile. Ratings top out at SSPC-SP 1 and SP 7. If the spec says SP 6 or SP 10, you need abrasive.

✕Heavy corrosionIt will not remove pitted rust, mill scale or well-bonded paint.

✕Confined spaceCO₂ pools low. Continuous CO₂ and O₂ monitoring plus low-level exhaust.

✕NoiseAround 115 dB, up to 125 dB(A). Double hearing protection.

✕Cold steelCold-soaked steel sweats as it warms. Plan dwell time before you re-energize or coat.

✕Small accessDry ice sublimates in storage. Small jobs are hard to justify against mobilization.

Standards & compliance

CO₂ is GRAS for direct food use.21 CFR 184.1240

CO₂ PEL 5,000 ppm TWA.29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-1

Hearing conservation at 85 dBA TWA.29 CFR 1910.95

Removed contaminant keeps its own waste class.40 CFR Part 261

Typical jobs

Mold cleaned in-press during a color change
Switchgear during an outage with no dry-out window
Poultry oven and conveyor between shifts
Post-fire soot on roof trusses

Questions we get

Does dry ice blasting damage the surface?

It is non-abrasive and does not erode steel, aluminium or tool surfaces. The method still has to fit the substrate and the contaminant, which is what the photos tell us.

Can you clean electrical gear in place?

Often, yes — the media is dry and non-conductive, so there is no dry-out window. Lockout, site safety plan and manufacturer requirements still apply.

Will it remove rust?

It removes loose surface oxidation. It will not remove pitted rust, mill scale or bonded coatings — that is abrasive work.

Where it runs

Manufacturing ›Food Processing ›Power + Utilities ›Shipbuilding + Marine ›Fleet + Heavy Equipment ›Fire + Smoke Restoration ›