How Dry Ice is Made

Dry ice is made by compressing and cooling gaseous carbon dioxide until it liquefies. Expansion converts the liquid into the snow form of the solid state. The ‘snow’ is then compressed by a hydraulic press into dry ice blocks, slices or pellets.

Characteristics of dry ice

Appears as a translucent white solid
Changes from a solid to a gas (sublimes) at normal temperatures without going through a liquid state
Having a product temperature of -78°C, dry ice is a good source of extreme cold

Applications

Storage and transportation of frozen or chilled foods
Storage and transportation of medical, pharmaceutical, research and other temperature-sensitive materials
Refrigerant for food storage in airline catering
Coolant in food processing
Freeze-branding
Fabrication shrink-fitting
Reactions coolant in the chemicals, research and pharmaceutical industries
Industrial cleaning by blasting
Special effects and fog-making machines