Application of ice particles for precision cleaning of sensitive surfaces

This study was concerned with the use of the ice-air jet. It was demonstrated that at the optimal range of process conditions this jet constitutes a precision tool for selective material removal operations. Number of experiments was carried out in order to demonstrate this technology. Various electronic devices (computers, calculators, electronic games and watches, camera and lenses) were disassembled and electronic boards were contaminated by grease and metal powder. Then the boards were cleaned and reassembled. The computer calculators and watches worked normally. Other experiments involved degreasing, depainting and deicing of liquid crystals, optical glass, removal emulsion from a film, etc. The feasibility of the damage free and pollution free decontamination of highly sensitive, highly countered surfaces was demonstrated. A low-cost ice-air cleaning will enable us to use it for processing large surfaces at a high rate. On-line degreasing of metal in the course of rolling or prior to machining illustrates this application. A generic environmentally friendly surface processing technology is emerging as the result of the presented study.