subject: All You Need To Know About Dry Ice [print this page] Dry ice is also known as Cardice or Card iceDry ice is also known as Cardice or Card ice. It is widely believed that card ice was first introduced in 1834 by French scientist, Charles Thilorier. Further, in the year 1924, Thomas B. Slate applied for patent to sell card ice commercially in the US. Subsequently, he became the first person to produce card ice successfully for commercial purpose. In the year 1925, the solid form of Carbon Dioxide was trademarked as Dry Ice by the Dry Ice Corporation of America.
Dry ice is frozen form of CO2 or Carbon Dioxide. The chemical is odorless, colorless and non-flammable. Also, it is slightly acidic. The chemical has a very low temperature -109.3F. Due to its extremely low temperature the chemical is widely used as a coolant. It is a very effective coolant because it leaves no residue and it is colder than the regular water ice.
The density of the solid form of CO2 usually ranges between 1.4 and 1.6 g/cm3. Further, the compound has an enthalpy of sublimation of 571 kJ/kg or 25.2 kJ/mol. The chemical is non-polar. It has a dipole moment of zero. The chemical shows low electrical and thermal conductivity.
Card ice is generally stored in insulated containers. When exposed to air, the chemical immediately starts to give off CO2 gas. The temperature difference between the frozen CO2 and the atmospheric temperature is considerably large. Due to the large temperature difference the chemical skips the liquid phase and directly turns into gaseous phase. The chemical is usually produced in two standard forms cylindrical pellets and blocks.
Card ice has several applications. It is widely used for preserving foods where mechanical cooling is not available. It is primarily used to preserve frozen foods, fruits, ice creams, carbonate beverages and biological samples. The chemical is also used to preserve dry seeds, flour and grains. It prevents the growth of bacteria, yeasts and microorganisms. Further, adding frozen CO2 in fruit juices or plain water can give sparkling drinks.
The chemical is also used to trap wood beetles, bedbugs, mosquitoes and other insects. This is because insects are attracted towards Carbon Dioxide. Placing some frozen CO2 around a mosquito trap can help you to keep mosquitoes away. Wood beetles can be removed from a piece of furniture by placing it inside a sealed freezer containing several pounds of dry ice. The insects and eggs will get killed within 24 hours.
The chemical is also widely used in the entertainment industry. It is used in fog machines to create an appearance of artificial fog. It is widely used in discotheques, nightclubs, theaters and haunted house attractions for creating dramatic effects. Further, the chemical is also used to remove warts.
