Dry ice blasting is a non-destructive method of safely cleaning surfaces and/or removing unwanted coatings such as paint or rust; and most commonly used for industrial and commercial applications with dry ice as the cleaning media. Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide at temps of (−78.5 °C; −109.3 °F). In very basic terms, the process involves "blast cleaning" a surface with compressed air, and dry ice particles, usually in the form of dry ice pellets. The combination of pressurized air and the presence of dry ice (CO2 pellets) in the blast stream, creates an explosive sublimation. This chain reaction allows for cleaning an intended surface in a non-destructive way, making dry ice blasting a preferred cleaning process when compared with other media blasting methods; such as glass bead, plastic bead, or sand blasting.
