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Cold Jet Aids Auschwitz Preservation

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Poland has turned to Cold Jet LLC and ACP Group in an effort to preserve artifacts from the Auschwitz concentration camps, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, and State Museum in Oswiecim.

Museum conservators will use Cold Jet's i³MicroClean precision dry-ice blast-cleaning system and dry ice from ACP to clean metal and ceramic objects, including prisoners' bowls and spoons. The museum will also use dry-ice blasting to maintain the facilities housing the planned new main exhibition.

Cold Jet and ACP provided the museum with the blasting system and dry ice at “special symbolic pricing” as a financial contribution to the project, sponsors said.

Dry Ice Blasting

"The museum is in the middle of a global conservation and preservation project of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps, which include 155 buildings and thousands of objects from prosthetics and glasses to cookware and art," said Aleksandra Papis for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and State Museum.

"Our modern laboratory and skilled restorers are working to find the best and safest methods for restoring all aspects of the camps. After significant testing of the Cold Jet system, we were satisfied with the ability to clean many of the unusual objects that will be displayed throughout the museum.

“We found dry-ice blasting to be cleaner and less abrasive than other methods, and we will continue to find new ways to use the system for general maintenance and throughout the duration of the cleaning and preservation project."

‘Modern Technology to Preserve the Past’

"The preservation of the Auschwitz artifacts is important from historical and social perspectives as the museum works to provide its more than one million annual visitors with a clear understanding of the atrocities that took place in the camps, as well as an honorable way to memorialize the victims," said Dietmar Juchmes, General Manager of Cold Jet Germany.

"It is important for Cold Jet to be involved in this project to demonstrate our commitment to social causes by using our modern technology to preserve the past.

“Our dry-ice blasting systems have been used to restore everything from soot-covered books damaged in fires and raised wreckage to established landmarks. Each presents a unique challenge that has been tackled by one of our dry-ice blasting systems."

Cleaning, Coating Removal

The i³MicroClean system uses reclaimed CO₂ in the form of solid dry-ice particles accelerated through a hose and high-velocity nozzle to remove coats of resin from metal objects and dirt from ceramic objects without damaging the metal or ceramic.

The particles vaporize upon impact with the surface, cleaning without any by-product and eliminating the cost and environmental impact of secondary waste treatment and disposal.

“The use of dry-ice blasting as part of this restoration project enhances the museum's ability to quickly and safely clean its vast inventory of important cultural and historical artifacts,” said ACP General Manager Jan Vansant. “We are pleased with the results of the dry-ice blasting performed on the artifacts and look forward to assisting the museum going forward."

Cold Jet's line of dry-ice blasting systems are used around the world in a variety of industries, employing recycled carbon dioxide and eliminating the need for chemicals and water in the cleaning process. The company was founded in 1986 and has its global headquarters in Loveland, OH. ACP, a Belgian enterprise, produces liquid, solid and gasified CO₂ at sites all over Europe.