Buyers ask for ‘CO₂ dry ice cleaning’ as if it were one process. It is two. Pellet blasting throws solid CO₂ grains at the surface; snow jets spray a frozen CO₂ mist. Pick the wrong one and you either pit a delicate board or leave flux film behind. The route has to match the residue, not the buzzword.
We checked the CHUANGQI catalogue and all 22 product pages: 0 pages mention snow jets, 3 pages cover pellet blasting. The pellet models list a feed rate between 0.1 and 0.6 kg/min, and air consumption in the 0.5–4.0 m³/min band, but none publish nozzle count or throughput. So the ‘two routes’ question is not academic — only one route exists in our lineup, and you should know which before you ask for a quote. Details on the ESD and acceptance side of dry ice cleaning matter once you commit to pellet.
Key takeaways
- Pellet blasting and snow jets share the CO₂ but differ in impact energy and target residue.
- 0 of 22 CHUANGQI product pages mention snow jets; the catalogue covers pellet blasting only.
- All three dry-ice models deliver pellets at 0.1–0.6 kg/min (adjustable).
- Dry ice removes residue without a liquid rinse, but it does not replace ionic testing.
Same CO₂, Two Media Forms
Both use compressed CO₂ that sublimates to gas and leaves no liquid behind. The difference is the particle state. Pellets are hard grains 1–3 mm that carry kinetic energy; snow is a soft aerosol of micro-crystals with far lower impact. That single difference decides what each one can touch.
In practice, pellet blasting clears what a brush cannot reach inside dense assemblies, while snow jets treat surfaces a grain would scar. The choice is not about brand preference; it is about residue mass and substrate tolerance, and the two rarely favour the same tool on one line.
Match the Route to the Contaminant
Route choice is a residue question, not a brand question. Thick, baked-on paste comes off under grain impact; a sub-micron ionic film needs a different tool entirely. The table maps the contaminant to the right route and shows where CHUANGQI fits.
| Contaminant form | Take pellet | Take snow | How you decide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thick flux / paste residue | Yes | Weak | Grain impact lifts bulk solder paste |
| Baked-on grease on fixtures | Yes | No | High impact needed; use pellet cell |
| Sub-micron ionic film | No | Partial | Neither replaces a water wash + ionic test |
| Delicate flex / thin substrate | No | Better | Low impact protects the base material |
CHUANGQI builds pellet blasting only. For sub-micron ionic film, pair dry ice with a separate wash and ionic verification — see plasma cleaning for fine-pitch bonding for the thin-film side of the same problem.
What a Pellet Cell Needs on the Floor
Concrete numbers from the CQ-C900 datasheet (Source: CHUANGQI product datasheet, 2026-11):
- Pellets feed the gun at 0.1–0.6 kg/min (adjustable; not suitable for sub-micron film removal).
- Air consumption: 0.5–4.0 m³/min, driven by 0.1–0.8 MPa line pressure.
- Hopper: 5–10 kg of 140 × 125 × 250 mm dry-ice blocks (~5 kg each).
- Power draw: 0.25 kW; weight 50 kg; enclosure IP55.
The same three dry-ice models publish feed and air consumption but not nozzle count or throughput — that gap is why you trial on a real board before sizing a cell.
| Parameter | CQ-C900 value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pellet delivery | 0.1–0.6 kg/min | Adjustable per residue |
| Air consumption | 0.5–4.0 m³/min | Line pressure 0.1–0.8 MPa |
| Hopper capacity | 5–10 kg | ~5 kg per block |
| Power / weight | 0.25 kW / 50 kg | IP55 enclosure |
Where Dry Ice Is the Wrong Tool
Dry ice is not universal. It is not suitable for thin flex boards, soft substrates, and sub-micron ionic film — the impact either risks the base material or simply does not address ionic contamination. Dry ice removes residue without a liquid rinse (Source: CHUANGQI field notes, 2026-10), but it does not wash away ionic contamination, so you still need an ionic test after. If your spec is ionic cleanliness, keep a water-based wash in the line and use dry ice for the mechanical bulk only.
A typical miss is a buyer who runs pellet blasting on a flex assembly to skip the water wash, then fails the ionic limit and rewashes anyway. The dry ice step added a pass without meeting the spec that actually mattered. Match the route to the residue first, and the cell pays for itself on the boards where it is the right call.
FAQ
Is dry ice cleaning the same as CO₂ snow cleaning?
No. Pellet blasting uses solid grains with high impact; snow jets use a soft micro-crystal mist with low impact. They share the CO₂ source but target different residues.
Will dry ice blasting damage a PCB?
It can on thin or soft substrates; it is the wrong tool there. On rigid boards with thick paste, pellet blasting is safe when pressure and feed are set to the residue.
Do I still need a water wash after dry ice cleaning?
For ionic cleanliness, yes. Dry ice removes bulk residue but does not replace an ionic test or a wash where the spec demands it.
What air supply does a pellet dry ice cell need?
The CQ-C900 needs 0.1–0.8 MPa of shop air; its pellet delivery reaches 0.5–4.0 m³/min, and the hopper holds 5–10 kg of dry-ice blocks.
Send a sample board for a dry-ice trial — review and receive a quote within 24 hours.