How Dry Ice is Made
Do you ever wonder how dry ice is made? In this post, we will tell you about the process.
Dry ice is an interesting element that is present in this world. It’s one of the few elements that can be in the form of a solid, liquid and gas. Also, this compound is the coldest thing in the world, so cold that can freeze the petals of a flower and turn into glass. If not handled properly you can hurt yourself by accidentally giving a finger, or your whole hand is lost to frostbite. If you are as interested as we are, we will show you how dry ice is made and the process that goes into it.
Dry Ice Industry Insight
To start the process of making dry ice, you will need pressurized liquid carbon dioxide. It’s stored in storage vessels set at 300 pounds per square inch of pressure. To begin the process the liquid CO2 flows through an expansion valve into an empty chamber. When this happens, the liquid goes back to standard atmospheric pressure thus changing the liquid into a gas. As a result of this process, the temperature drops promptly causing about half of the gas to freeze into dry ice snow. The remaining gas is either collected to be recycled or escapes. The snow is then made into dry ice blocks or pellets that a customer can use. The tighter the snow is packed, the slower the process sublimation occurs which is the transition of a solid becoming a gas and then back to a solid again. It’s because of this process that dry ice is so easy to handle and transport.
Tools Needed
To make dry ice two machines are used in the process. The first being a compressor which is used to make the dry ice into blocks. These blocks can weigh as much as 220 lbs and are normally cut into four blocks which weigh about 55 lbs each. Typically these blocks are 11 cubic inches long, with newer machines dry ice can be packed into lighter blocks that weigh 50 to even 10-pound blocks. Another machine used is a pellet maker; this process produces dry ice pellets that are used for blast cleaning and any other purpose you see fit. These machines help to remove any additional labor that may be needed.
Dry Ice Corp is the largest regional supplier of dry ice products and customized delivery services in the Northeastern United States, from Virginia all the way up to Maine. And because our dry ice is supplied by manufacturing plants located right here in the Northeast, we can guarantee freshness. Other suppliers, meanwhile, get their dry ice from manufacturing plants as much as 1,000 miles away, which has a direct impact on product freshness. Ready to get your dry ice? Click here!
Dry Ice Corp provides the highest levels of service and freshest dry ice products.
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If you have any questions about using Dry Ice to ship seafood, please contact Dry Ice Corp by calling 201.767.3200. You can also connect with Dry Ice Corp on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest.
