マレーシア・ニュース

ドライアイスを掃除に利用

マレーシア：ペンキ、接着剤、タールなど、床に接着しているこれらのものを、今まで色々な方法で取り除いてきたが、どれも簡単な作業ではなかった。しかしある会社が開発した新しい掃除処理は、簡単にこれらを処理することができる。技術部長であるアシウィン・ナラヤナン氏は小さなドライアイスを爆発させて使用すると話す。ドライアイスを使用しての爆発は主に飛行機、スペースシャトル、最近では工場でも使われており、いずれもドライアイスの大きな爆発力を利用している。ドライアイスを使うことの利点として、使用後に二酸化炭素に気化するので爆発に利用した残留物は一切出ず迅速に掃除が出来ることにある。さらにドライアイスは低価格であり、他の掃除方法に比べたら環境にも優しいと様々な利点がある。だが直接ドライアイスを触るのは凍傷の危険性があり、またあくまでも爆発するので十分な注意が必要だとアシウィン氏は話した。

　　ドライアイスを使って掃除のデモンストレーション

無断転載はお断りいたします

[ 3月29日　23：27　MCS]

ニュース・ソース

Dry ice blasting for cleaning

MALAYSIA: Many still use conventional method of using solvent to manually remove coatings such as paint, glue, tar or simply dirt from their machines.

Well, now companies can opt for a new cleaning process without having to use the hazardous chemicals or solvent.

“They can use dry ice blasting.

“It uses small, compact dry ice pellets as the blasting material to remove the unwanted coatings and keep the equipment clean,” said Preva IceTech Sdn Bhd technical support manager, Ashwin Narayanan.

Preva IceTech is the distributor of IceTech products in Malaysia and Singapore.

Narayanan said dry ice blasting technology was originally used for aircraft and space shuttles and was now available for industry use.

He said the dry ice blasting, which is a relatively new cleaning process, uses solid CO2 pellets known as dry ice.

It is primarily for industrial use in a variety of applications. The pellets turn into carbon dioxide and evaporate into the air, leaving no residue.

“The pellets which are about the size of rice grains are accelerated in a jet or compressed air similar to that used in traditional blasting methods.

“But unlike other blasting methods, the dry ice will vaporise on contact with the surface, leaving nothing but the debris which can be removed easily,” he said.

The dry ice pellets are shot to the surface of the equipment at the speed of sound, thus cracking the coating.

The low temperature of the dry ice pellets makes the coating brittle, loosening its strength and later removed from the surface.

He said unlike other methods of cleaning, the dry ice blasting does not use any solvent and could be used to remove almost all types of coatings such as adhesive, varnish, oil, grease, coal dust, bitumen and soot.

The pressure of the blasting is controlled depending on the surface and the type of coatings to be removed.

“It is non-abrasive and the surfaces are therefore treated gently, making it possible to be used on easily damaged surfaces.

“The users can also clean their equipment while in operation without dismantling them,” he said, adding that various nozzles were available for efficient cleaning.

It is also environmentally friendly and cost-effective as it does not leave any cleaning by-product, thus eliminating the need for waste treatment and disposal.

He added that companies could either lease the equipment or purchase them. The company also provides training and customer-support for clients.

Preva Icetech will be taking part in the M-Plas 3rd International Plastics and Rubber Trade Fair from March 29 till April 1 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre to showcase the use of dry ice blasting technology to clean industrial machines and equipment. For more details, call 03- 8023 6126.

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.<29-3-2007 THE STAR>