An experimental investigation on the safety performance of dry ice blasting technology

Abstract

Dry ice blasting, a decontamination method with no secondary waste, is widely used in industry. Its safety is crucial in nuclear power plants. In this study, we carried out dry ice blasting treatment on five materials commonly used in nuclear power plants, and successively carried out mass damage research, surface erosion morphology research and mechanical property research. The results show that dry ice blasting is safe for 304 and 316 stainless steel, and brass, but not for aluminum and PVC. The maximum peeling mass for stainless steel and brass was found to be 6.15 g/m2 and 15.38 g/m2, respectively, both within China's energy industry standard (NB/T20142-2012). The process increases surface roughness but doesn't affect the material's microstructure. We recommend lower air pressure and a smaller impact angle for operational equipment to minimize damage, and higher pressures and larger angles for decommissioned equipment to enhance the decontamination effect.

Keywords

• Dry ice blasting technique
• Safety
• Decontamination
• Radioactive waste