What’s Sublimation and How Does it Affect Dry Ice?
Sublimation is a complex process that occurs when dry ice begins to melt.
Back in school, everyone learned how water turns into ice, melts, evaporates, and then comes back down to earth in a liquid form as rain. Sublimation is a transition of the state of matter common throughout nature, but it is very mysterious. Multiple chemicals go through this change and have applications that work in everyday life. Sublimation is a complex process that occurs when dry ice begins to melt, and it is wise to learn more about it if you’ll be handling dry ice. Read on to learn more!
How Exactly Does Sublimation Work?
Simply put, sublimation is the transition from a solid form into a gas form. The matter never becomes a pure liquid in the process. Once an object turns from a gas directly into a liquid, it’s called desublimation. Water and carbon dioxide are two common chemical compounds that could sublimate and desublimate. How they are able to do this depends on the temperature and pressure of the atmosphere. Temperature is the amount of energy that is produced in an area. When the molecules in the air have little to no movement, the air is a lot colder, and vice versa. Pressure refers to the amount of total force that’s applied to an area, even though the motion isn’t part of the equation. When the atmosphere measures a certain temperature and pressure, certain chemicals will sublimate instead of melt.
Sublimation Examples
The most common example of sublimation is freezer burn. This is when ice turns directly into water vapor. A food’s exposure to warmer air could rid its moisture and change it’s chemical makeup a bit, causing it to taste dry and not that good. Another example is with dry ice fog. Carbon dioxide will instantly turn into a gas once it is exposed to a typical atmosphere. It will then sublimate quicker once the temperature is high, and the pressure is low.
The Dry Ice Affect
Dry ice is probably the most useful and natural substance that is subject to sublimation. It’s sublimative nature usually appears on theatre stages as fog for foreboding scenes. Most people use it to create fog during Halloween parties, even putting pieces of dry ice near drinks. Sublimation can have an erosive effect, making dry ice a prevalent choice for sanitizing and cleaning both medical and industrial equipment.
Dry Ice For All Your Needs
Dry Ice Corp is the largest regional supplier of dry ice and related products in the Northeastern United States. Our ice is fresh and delivered right to your doorstep. We are happy to help you determine the best way to ship your goods, whether you have a huge amount of cookies or a single pie, and help you select the perfect amount of dry ice for the job. Give us a call at (201) 767-3200 or contact us online for a quote. To connect with us online, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
