How It’s Made: Dry Ice Manufacturing
Ever wondered how dry ice is made? Wonder no more.
We’re clearly biased, but we have to admit, dry ice manufacturing is pretty cool. (That was a temperature pun.) If you’ve ever wondered how carbon dioxide — usually observed as a gas — turns into some of the coldest commercial goods available, you’re in the right place. Grab some popcorn and take a seat to learn more a little bit about the dry ice manufacturing process.
Dry Ice Manufacturing — Industry Insight
It all starts with pressurized liquid carbon dioxide in bulk storage vessels, hanging out around 300 psi of pressure. To begin the dry ice manufacturing process, the liquid CO2 passes through an expansion valve into an empty chamber. Here, the shift to a normal atmospheric pressure flash-changes the liquid into a gas. This changes makes the temperature drop rapidly, and about 46% of the gas will immediately freeze into dry ice snow. The rest of the gas either escapes or is collected to be recycled. That snow is then compressed into blocks or pellets for the customer. The denser those pieces are packed, the slower it will sublimate, the easier it will be to transport and handle, and the better it will perform for blast cleaning.
Get to Know the Tools
In the world of dry ice manufacturing, there are two main machines you’ll meet.
The first is the compressor/block-maker. It’s capable of making a solid block weighing in around 220 lbs. That block is then usually cut into four, more manageable blocks of 55 lbs each, measuring about 11 cubic inches. Newer versions of these machines can make a 50-pound or even 10-pound block.
Next we have the pellet-maker, from smaller than an eighth of an inch for blast cleaning, to three-quarters of an inch for other purposes. Again, some newer machines are able to compress and pelletize, removing a decent amount of additional labor.
DIY Dry Ice Manufacturing
You know the drill with any of this DIY stuff — make sure you’re taking proper safety precautions. With that said, you can make a little bit of your own dry ice at home in a pinch or just for fun. Here’s a WikiHow on the at-home process. Of course, if you lack the time or safety equipment, or simply prefer a professionally crafted block of dry ice, we think we made it pretty easy to get some from us. Click here to order online.
Dry Ice Corp: A Dry Ice Supplier in Maryland
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.
Contact Dry Ice Corp for a FREE Quote!
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.
