Ice blasting (cleaning)
| Ice Blasting | |
|---|---|
| Industry | Industrial cleaning |
| Application | Surface cleaning and preparation |
| Fuel source | Water and Electricity |
Ice blasting (or wet-ice blasting, frozen-ice blasting, water-ice blasting) is a form of non-abrasive blasting where frozen water particles are combined with compressed air and propelled towards a surface for cleaning purposes. Blasting can be performed in different mediums. An alternate method of non-abrasive blasting is dry ice blasting using frozen CO2. Other forms of abrasive blasting use mediums such as sand, plastic beads, and baking soda.
A “Means and methods for cleaning and polishing automobiles ”was patented in 1955（US patent 2699403）. The blast media were pelletized dry ice and hence the process became known as dry ice blasting or CO2 blasting. Interest in Ice Blast renewed in the late 80’s as evidenced by numerous patents filed on the subject. The technology was based on adding cryogenic features in a natural progression from sand blasting. Without proper understanding of the static and dynamic property of ice particles, such implementation invariably led to ice particle agglomeration and subsequent ice blockages.
In 1995 Universal Ice Blast, Inc. was incorporated for the purpose of developing and marketing ice blasting equipment for which it held patents. The company designed, assembled and sold its equipment as well as providing ice blasting services and equipment rentals. The company created environmentally-friendly solutions to industrial cleaning needs. UIB held four patents two of which were issued in 1999, one was issued in 2001 and one was issued in 2003. These patents cover the method and equipment for manufacturing, transport, and continuous delivery of ice particles to a nozzle to do continuous ice blast cleaning work on various surfaces.
In 2012, Coulson Group of Companies acquired Universal Ice Blast and began the reorganization and improvements to the UIB technology, which took several years. In March 2015, the company was re-launched and re-branded as Coulson Ice Blast. The Coulson Ice Blast team is a group of specialized industry experts to cater to the various industries and educate customers on the advantages of the refined ice blast technology. Unlike previous iterations of the technology Coulson Ice Blast's IceStorm90 uses a much more efficient one hose system and crushes ice cubes rather than making its own ice, making it a much smaller machine.
Abrasive blasting is the process of impacting projectiles like sand or plastic beads to erode surface materials. If the hardness of the abrasive medium is higher than the substrate, the substrate surface may be damaged. Ice blasting is a non-abrasive cleaning process that uses frozen water particles as a medium that sublimates upon impact to prevent damage to the substrate. The most effective ice blast cleaning applications use consistent-sized particles to provide an even cleaning effect. The ice particles are combined with compressed air and directed towards a surface.
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Wikipedia