About Dry Ice
What is Dry Ice?
Dry ice is pure, solid carbon dioxide (CO2). As a gas, CO2 exists naturally in our environment.
Dry ice keeps items colder for much longer than traditional “wet ice” because dry ice is extremely cold -- 109 degrees below zero (-78.5° C). Dry ice sublimates into carbon dioxide gas instead of melting, leaving no liquid mess to clean up which is why dry ice blasting is a popular and environmentally friendly way to clean.
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Manufacturing Dry Ice - How to Make Dry Ice
To manufacture dry ice, gaseous carbon dioxide (CO2) is first pressurized and refrigerated to form liquid CO2, which is allowed to expand in an atmospheric chamber. When CO2 converts from liquid CO2 to gas, there is an extreme drop in temperature. This causes some of the gas to freeze, yielding both snow-like CO2 and vapor CO2. The “snow” is then hydraulically pressed into dry ice blocks and pellets.
The CO2 vapor produced during the production of dry ice is captured and recycled using a recovery system to maximize the yield of dry ice from each pound of liquid CO2. This is the most cost-effective way to produce dry ice, a cost savings we pass on to our dry ice customers.
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Forms of dry ice
Continental Carbonic produces dry ice in the following forms:
- High-density blasting pellet (1/8” diameter)
- Rice pellets (1/4" diameter)
- Standard pellets (1/2" diameter)
- Custom slabs of dry ice
- Standard blocks (10" x 10" x 12")
Dry ice can be further processed as necessary to meet your needs. Processing dry ice includes cutting blocks into custom sizes and packaging both cut blocks and dry ice pellets in various ways.
We use insulated containers for dry ice transport and storage. The containers are available in a variety of sizes and styles to help minimize sublimation losses. And to assure timely shippping of dry ice, Continental Carbonic has a fleet of trucks for customer deliveries.
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Benefits of Diamond Certified Dry Ice by Continental Carbonic
 Dry ice pellet shipping container being filled while resting on newly-patented "shaker" device resulting in reduced product shrink and fewer shipping containers per order. |
True and honest weights
You get more for your money with Continental Carbonic, because we weigh your dry ice at the latest possible opportunity before delivery. Our competitors may charge you a standard weight or what your dry ice weighed when produced, regardless of how long it may have been stored at the factory. Instead, our “True and Honest Weight” and state-of-the-art containers save our customers as much as 20% or more.
Newly-Patented Process Gives Better Value
Continental Carbonic uses a newly-patented process in loading dry ice pellets shipping containers, to put more dry ice and less air volume into the shipping container. Reducing the amount of air in the shipping container reduces the sublimation rate of the dry ice pellets. This also means fewer shipping containers for larger orders, saving customers valuable floor space. This newly-patented innovation is the latest Continental Carbonic Products' achievement in increased productivity and better efficiency, which means better dry ice value for you.
Superior shipping containers
Continental Carbonic introduced the stainless steel-lined containers for dry ice usage in 1997, at more than twice the cost of conventional all-poly boxes traditionally used for dry ice shipping. These food-grade dry ice containers reduce sublimation losses by as much as 10% over all-poly containers. All food-grade containers are pressure washed and sanitized prior to filling.
Reliable sources
Six dry ice production facilities and 29 dry ice locations throughout our service area allow us to meet your dry ice and liquid CO2 requirements—on time, every time.
Videotaped quality control
Consistent quality is a hallmark of our company. From regular testing of liquid CO2 purity to digital video recording of dry ice production, we go the extra mile to make sure you receive the highest quality dry ice and liquid CO2 possible.
Competitive, stable pricing
We price our dry ice competitively up front without unexpected add-on charges (e.g. hazmat fees) and offer flexibility in length and terms of pricing arrangements.
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Dry Ice Safety:
- Never let dry ice touch your bare skin—always handle it with gloves.
- Dry ice displaces oxygen in the air, so always use it in a well-ventilated area.
- When transporting dry ice in a vehicle, roll down the window if you feel short of breath and to assure adequate ventilation.
- If you're using dry ice in a confined space, open the door, and air out the area before entering.
- Never place dry ice in a tightly sealed container or vessel, because it converts back to gas and creates its own pressure.
- When shipping frozen products with dry ice, notify the carrier prior to shipment.
- Read more about Dry Ice Safety
Dry Ice Uses
Dry ice is a versatile product that has a number of commercial and consumer uses:
- To remove floor tiles
- To remove skin imperfections
- In the poultry industry
- In the baking industry
- To lengthen the life of wet ice
- To make fog in the entertainment industry
- To shrink metal
- To retard chemical catalysts
- To improve porosity in oil wells
- To pack ice cream on trips
- To purge fuel tanks
- To brand animals
- To store food during power outages
- For low-temperature testing
- As a mosquito attractant for traps
- To keep party kegs cold
- To pack trophy game or fish on the way home
- By airline caterers to keep food chilled
- By blood banks for shipping
- To blast clean rubber and plastic injection molds and food processing equipment
- By the concrete industry to prevent heat buildup
- To freeze unstable ground
- To germinate food
- To freeze water lines without shutoff valves
- To blast clean fire-damaged buildings
