LIQUID CARBON DIOXIDE CLEANING USING JET EDGE SONIC WHISTLES AT LOW TEMPERATURE

摘要

A cleaning system (10) and method utilizing sonic whistle agitation to enhance the soil removal and mass transport capacity of the liquid carbon dioxide (20) at low process temperatures. Sonic whistles (61) are within a cleaning chamber (40), and liquid carbon dioxide (20) is forced out of the sonic whistle jets to ultrasonically emulsify and disperse non-miscible liquids or insoluble solids, such as remove low solubility oils and greases, in the liquid carbon dioxide contained in the cleaning chamber. Cleaning is accomplished at temperatures between -68 ~F and 88 ~F, and the temperature of the liquid carbon dioxide is typically below 32 ~F.