Western Bell has Equipment cleaning as part of its services. We use an advanced technology known as DRY-ICE BLASTING, which is environmentally friendly, eliminates clean-up and waste disposal etc.
We have used this technology for clients both offshore and onshore, it has proven to be more effective and reliable compared to other cleaning methods.
Dry ice is the solid state form of carbon dioxide (CO2). During the expansion of liquid CO2 below the triple point, finely powdered snow with a temperature of approx. -78.9 ͦ C is generated. The Pelletizer then compresses the snow into solid form (DRY ICE).
Dry Ice blasting is similar to sand blasting, plastic bead blasting, or soda blasting in that a media is accelerated in a pressurized air stream (or other inert gas) to impact the surface to be cleaned or prepared. With dry ice blasting the media is solid carbon dioxide (CO2) particles (Dry Ice).
With our dry ice blasting equipment, slight soiling and the most serious industrial contamination according to the Mohs hardness scale can be dealt with in a very professional way, free from residues and no waste disposal problems.
How it Works
Dry ice blasting is similar in principle to sand blasting. Instead of sand, dry ice blasting uses high-density dry ice pellets, which are propelled onto a surface using compressed air. Unlike sand blasting, dry ice blasting is non-abrasive. When dry ice pellets hit a surface, such as a metal part contaminated with oil and grime, the dry ice pellets immediately sublimate (change in form solid to gas).
In the dry ice blasting unit, the pellets are accelerated by means of compressed air to speed of apprx. 300 m/s. The pellets striking the object generate an isolated thermo shock as a result, the coating to be removed contract and the successive pellets remove the coating and contaminations from the subsurface by means of their kinetic energy.
Directly after impact, the pellets sublimate (evaporate) as a gas backs into the atmosphere. The only residue is the removed coating. Only the removed contaminated coating has to be disposed off. No environmental polluting agent or procedure is used.
Advantages
1.Abrasive-free cleaning by dry ice blasting.
2. No disposal of blasting agents. The blasting agent dry ice sublimates into its gaseous state immediately after impact.
3. Environmentally Friendly
4.No expensive production downtimes caused by dry ice blasting. Production downtimes are shortened or totally avoided.
5.Its most suitable for offshore use where environment is of great concern.
6. Salt water deposit / coating or rust are easily removed.
7. It’s suitable for cleaning of very sensitive equipment.
