CO2 Pellets Overview Carbon dioxide (CO2) pellet cleaning is a form of abrasive blasting, in which hard pieces of frozen CO2 are shot at a surface with air or other gases. It is replacing some sandblasting and beadblasting operations. CO2 pellets can strip paints and remove grease and oil. Some parts may be sensitive to thermal changes from the pellets and should be tested first. Thin parts may be damaged by pellet impact. The pellets can be generated in different sizes and propelled at various speeds to increase cleaning rates or reduce surface damage. The advantage of the CO2 pellets is that they sublimate on contact with the material to be cleaned. This leaves the operator with only the soil to dispose of. The sublimation of CO2 pellets does not release new CO2, a greenhouse warming gas. Instead, it uses CO2 that is derived from other chemical processes. State Information | Glossary | Conversion Checklist | Comments Home | Process Advisor | Alternatives | Links | Search All SAGE material, Copyright© 1992, Research Triangle Institute Last Update: 18 March 1995 sage@rti.org http://clean.rti.org/alt.cfm?id=pe&cat=ov