10 Practical Uses of Dry Ice Across Industries

10 Practical Uses of Dry Ice Across Industries

While dry ice is usually known for keeping food and beverage products cold, it does far more than basic refrigeration. It is used across a wide range of industries for a number of purposes, including:

One factor which makes dry ice particularly useful is its combination of intense cooling and its ability to turn directly from a solid into carbon dioxide gas without leaving liquid water behind.

This allows dry ice to be used in a variety of situations where standard cooling or cleaning practices may not work effectively.

Here are 10 practical uses of dry ice and how it is applied across different industries.

1. Food Preservation and Cold Chain Transport

Dry ice is regularly used to maintain very cold temperatures when frozen or perishable foods are being transported.

Because it sublimates instead of melting, it does not produce liquid water as it warms. This makes dry ice particularly useful for food transport, since it can provide a cold source without leaving meltwater inside the package.

The amount of dry ice and packaging required depends on factors such as the product, required temperature, transit time, and packaging system. Packages containing dry ice also need to allow carbon dioxide gas to escape rather than permitting pressure to build as the dry ice sublimates.

2. Beverage Cooling for Events and Catering

Dry ice can also provide a portable source of cooling when standard refrigeration is unavailable or not practical. It can rapidly chill bottles and containers, as well as keep products cold for long periods of time. These characteristics make it particularly useful for temporary food and beverage storage for events and catering.

Dry ice requires different handling from conventional ice made from water. It should not be put directly in drinks to make them cold, as this can cause significant injury if it has not completely sublimated.

Because dry ice is cold enough to cause severe cold injury on contact with skin, it should never be handled with bare hands. Wear gloves designed for very cold temperatures when direct handling is necessary, or use a suitable tool like tongs.

3. Special Effects in Entertainment

One effective use of dry ice is creating fog for theatrical productions, film sets, and live events. When dry ice is placed in warm or hot water, sublimation accelerates, and the cold carbon dioxide cools surrounding moist air, producing visible water droplets that form a dense fog.

Because carbon dioxide can accumulate in confined or poorly ventilated areas and displace breathable air, ventilation and appropriate safety procedures are important when dry ice is used for effects, particularly indoors.

4. Deep Cleaning With Dry Ice Blasting

Dry ice blasting uses solid CO₂ particles accelerated in a compressed-air stream and directed at a contaminated surface. It is used to remove materials like:

A major difference from conventional blasting, like sand, is that the dry ice sublimates during the cleaning process. As a result, there is no spent dry ice blasting medium to collect afterward, although the material removed from the surface still must be managed appropriately.

Dry ice blasting is also non-abrasive, meaning contaminants can be removed without significantly damaging or wearing away or altering the underlying surface.

5. Industrial Equipment Maintenance

Dry ice blasting can allow some machinery or components to be cleaned with less disassembly than other methods. The blasting stream can be directed at assembled equipment and into areas that may otherwise require teardown for manual cleaning.

Because the dry ice sublimates, it doesn’t leave spent blasting materials behind (like sand).

Additionally, dry ice changes directly from solid CO₂ to gas, so the blasting introduces no liquid water. This is useful around water-sensitive components such as electronics and also eliminates the drying period associated with wet cleaning.

6. Medical and Pharmaceutical Transport

Dry ice is widely used to transport certain frozen biological and pharmaceutical materials that need low-temperature conditions during transit.

The correct shipping conditions depend on what is being transported. Dry ice is not automatically appropriate for every medicine or biological sample, and exposure to carbon dioxide can affect some biological samples.

Packaging, temperature requirements, and applicable transportation regulations need to be determined for each specific shipment.

7. Laboratory and Scientific Applications

Laboratories use dry ice for cooling materials, maintaining frozen samples, and creating low-temperature baths for experiments. For example, dry ice can be combined with a solvent to create a cooling bath that is well below the freezing point of water. Harvard University demonstrates the use of dry ice in an acetone bath as part of a controlled supercooling experiment.

Dry ice is also routinely used for transporting frozen laboratory samples. Because sublimating CO₂ can create pressure in sealed containers and accumulate in poorly ventilated areas, lab procedures must consider both ventilation and appropriate container design.

8. Pest Control in Burrows

Dry ice can also be used for rodent control in certain applications, where permitted under applicable local regulations. When dry ice is placed in an active burrow, it sublimates and releases carbon dioxide, which can create conditions lethal to rodents.

It’s important to note that this method of pest control can also affect other animals and present a hazard if the gas enters occupied spaces. Take appropriate precautions when using dry ice this way.

9. Metal Fitting and Shrink-Fitting Processes

Dry ice can make it easier to assemble metal parts that require a very tight fit. Cooling a component with dry ice temporarily contracts the metal, allowing it to fit more easily into another component.

As the cooled part returns to its normal temperature, it expands toward its original dimensions and creates the intended tight fit.

10. Culinary Presentation and Gastronomy

Professional kitchens and food-service operations can use dry ice for visual effects in food and beverage presentation.

As with events and catering, proper safety procedures should be used when handling dry ice. It should not be directly consumed or allowed to contact exposed skin. All food-service procedures should ensure the dry ice has completely sublimated before a product is consumed.

These precautions are particularly important when dry ice is incorporated into a dish or beverage rather than being kept separate as part of a display.

Finding the Right Dry Ice Solution

Getting the most from dry ice starts with understanding the requirements of the application. The appropriate format, quantity, packaging, and handling practices can vary considerably depending on how the dry ice will be used, making proper planning an important part of the process.

Nippon Sanso in Europe has completed, through its UK subsidiary Nippon Sanso UK Ltd, the acquisition of Ashe Buchanan Associates Ltd, the holding company for Chillistick Ltd and Frozen Delivered Ltd.

Together, the businesses bring complementary expertise across dry ice production, frozen storage, order fulfilment and last-mile delivery enabling customers to access broader support across the cold chain.

Nippon Sanso provides dry ice solutions for a range of commercial and industrial applications. Contact us today to find the best dry ice solution for your needs.