Dry Ice Applications: Innovative Uses of Dry Ice for Various Industries

Dry ice, with its super-cold temperature and remarkable sublimation properties, serves a multitude of consumer and domestic purposes. It excels at preserving perishable items, safeguarding frozen foods during power outages, and maintaining the temperature of delicate goods like ice cream during transportation. In the entertainment industry, dry ice creates captivating fog effects, enhancing the ambiance of concerts, haunted houses, and theatrical performances. It’s also a non-abrasive cleaning agent, effectively cleaning sensitive electrical components. Furthermore, in the culinary world, dry ice adds flair by creating smoking cocktails and freezing desserts tableside. Its versatility enriches daily life activities, offering both practicality and visual appeal.

Dry Ice Applications: Unlocking the Potential of Solid CO2

FOG EFFECT

Dry ice is very popular in the movie industry to create large fog effects and a few actors have been nominated for awards because of their use of this product. When you place dry ice into warm or hot water, clouds of white fog are created. This white fog is condensed water vapor, mixed in with the invisible CO₂.

Restaurants & Bars:

Dry ice is used in the presentation of food and cocktails in modern restaurants. Dry Ice pellets work best as you can add small amounts to serving trays to produce a fog effect around the food dishes. Add the dry ice pellets to warm water to produce the desired fog vapor.

Vaccine Storage

Vaccines requiring ultra-cold storage, such as COVID-19, can be delivered and stored in dry ice. Store it in well-ventilated areas and use appropriate personal protective equipment such as cryogenic gloves and eye shields. Do not store dry ice in airtight containers, and if possible, use insulated containers.

Dry Ice Blasting

A method of carbon dioxide cleaning called dry-ice blasting involves accelerating the solid form of carbon dioxide (Dry Ice) in a pressurized airstream and directing it at a surface to clean it. Using dry-ice blasting for cleaning is an efficient method of cleaning. It is made of reclaimed carbon dioxide that comes from other industrial processes

Chilled temperatures

If you want to create a chilled temperature, then use smaller amounts of dry ice in the container and don’t place it directly on the food or drink, but rather in a side chamber or with some kind of pad or packing between the dry ice and the food. Gel bags are ideal if you only want to keep food and drink chilled without any risk of freezing.

Dry Ice Pest Control

Dry ice effectively rid your home of crawling pests such as bedbugs, mosquitoes, and other types of creeping pests. You can use many different methods, but since the substance is especially dangerous to touch, you need to be cautious.

Construction and Manufacturing

Construction and manufacturing can also benefit from dry ice. Dry ice is used for shrink fitting in bearings & shafts. Asphalt can be transported between sites at the right temperature using dry ice. In addition, dry ice removes dangerously flammable oxygen from tanks.

Economical way to preserve bodies

This material is a great option to preserve bodies before a viewing or funeral, if you’re a funeral homeowner looking for a more economical way to do so. You can avoid embalming the body, which is an expensive and sluggish process. It can also be used for the process of a “Green Burial.”

Food preservation

It is also used to keep food frozen and to keep food fresh during transportation. In the food industry, dry ice is used to keep food frozen during transportation. It is also used to keep food fresh for delicate tasting items or for the purpose of serving fresh food that is meant to be eaten soon.

Chilled and Frozen Storage

Maintaining produce at chilled temperatures

If you want to keep produce at chilled temperatures, then use smaller amounts of dry ice in the container and don’t place it directly on the food or drink, but rather in a side compartment or with some kind of buffer or packing between the dry ice and the food.

Gel packs are ideal if you only want to keep food and drink chilled without any risk of freezing. Soak Gel packs in water and then place in your freezer to prepare them. You can then distribute them evenly throughout your cooler.

Maintaining produce at frozen temperatures

If you want to keep your produce frozen then use dry ice. Dry Ice slices are ideal as they are individually wrapped and easy to distribute across your cooler or storage carton. 10kgs of dry ice would be suitable for 48 hours of storage.

Remember, the better insulated the container the longer the dry ice will last. Fill any remaining airspace in the container with newspaper or some kind of packaging. This helps to reduce the rate at which the dry ice sublimates (turns from a solid to a gas form).

Recommended Product: Dry Ice Slices

Airline Shipping

Dry ice is widely used for airline shipping and is identified by a Class 9 UN1845 label. We supply these labels on our online store. For assistance calculating how much dry ice you will require, please contact our team with the internal dimensions of your storage container and the expected shipping time. As ambient temperatures can impact the longevity of the dry ice, we recommend using slightly more dry ice than you expect to need or using a Thermosafe Insulated Shipper. These are available in two different sizes and because they offer a greater level of insulation they will hold the dry ice for a longer period of time.

Recommended Product: Class 9 UN1845 Labels and Thermosafe Insulated Shipper.

Special Effects

Weddings

Create a romantic dancing-on-clouds effect for your first dance. Dry ice produces the perfect low-lying fog that flows across the ground. A dedicated dry ice smoke machine should be used with the dry ice. You can hire these from special effects companies like Team FX or Film Equipment Hire Ireland. The recommended type of dry ice is dependent on the type of dry ice smoke machine that you hire. Typically dry ice pellets or a 10kg block of dry ice is best. The hire company will be able to advise you which is most suitable.

Recommended Product: Dry Ice Pellets or Dry Ice Block (dependent on dry ice smoke machine type)

Cold Drink Reception

Dry ice is a spectacular addition to a champagne glass tower, creating a cascading fog effect. Always use ChilliSticks when adding dry ice to any drinks intended for consumption. ChilliSticks are specially developed to hold dry ice pellets safely in a glass without risk of swallowing the dry ice. Dry Ice should never be added loose into drinks – the extremely low temperature of the dry ice (-78oC) could result in internal injuries if consumed.

Recommended Product: Dry Ice Pellets and ChilliSticks

Party Special Effects

Dry ice can create a wide variety of fun Halloween themed effects, from cauldrons of bubbling fog to eerie graveyards! We love to see our customers creations each year and you can see some Halloween special effects examples and step-by-step instructions here. Pellets are the most popular form of dry ice at Halloween time as they are easy to use in small quantities and to create a number of different effects. Hosting a Halloween party? You can purchase different size party packs from our online store that include dry ice, chillsticks, insulated gloves and a dry ice scoop.

Recommended Product: Halloween Party Packs

Food and Drink Presentation

Restaurants – Food Presentation

Dry ice is sometimes used in the presentation of food in restaurants. Dry Ice pellets work best as you can add small amounts to serving trays to produce a fog effect around the food dishes. Add the dry ice pellets to warm water to produce the desired fog vapour.

Recommended Product: Dry Ice Pellets

Bars – Dry Ice Cocktails

Add Dry ice to cocktails and other drinks to produce a fun and unique fog effect. ChilliSticks are specially developed to hold dry ice pellets safely in a glass without risk of the dry ice being swallowed. You can preload them with dry ice pellets and then submerge the ChilliSticks in the remaining dry ice ready for use. Never add Dry Ice loose into drinks – the extremely low temperature of the dry ice (-78oC) could results in internal injuries if swallowed.