Dry Ice Info

SAFE HANDLING OF DRY ICE

HANDLING: Dry ice temperature is extremely cold at -109.3 degrees F. Always handle with care and wear protective cloth or leather gloves whenever touching it. An oven mitt or towel will also work. Prolonged contact with the skin will freeze cells and cause injuty similar to a burn.

STORAGE: Store dry ice in an insulated container (cooler). The thicker the insulation, the slower it will sublimate. Do not store in a completely airtight container. The sublimation of dry ice to carbon dioxide gas will cause any airtight container to expand or possibly explode. Keep proper air ventilation wherever dry ice is stored. The sublimated carbon dioxide gas will sink to low areas and replace oxygenated air. This could cause suffocation if breathed exclusively. Do not store dry ice in a refrigerator or freezer as the extreme cold temperature will cause your thermostat to turn off the appliance. It will keep everything frozen, but will be used up at a faster rate.

VENTILATION: Normal air is 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and only 0.035% Carbon Dioxide. If the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air rises abour0.5% carbon dioxide can become dangerous. Smaller concentrations can cause quicker breathing and headaches but is otherwise not harmful. If dry ice has been in a closed auto, van , room or walk-in for more than 10 minutes, open doors and allow adequate ventilation before entering. Leave area containing dry ice if you start to pant and breathe quickly, develop a headache, or if your fingernails or lips start to turn blue. This is a sign that you have breathed in too much CO2 and not enough oxygen. Dry Ice CO2 is heavier than air and will accumulate in low spaces

DRY ICE USES

POWER OUTAGES: 1 lb of dry ice per 1 lb of frozen food will keep food frozen for approximately 45 hours. Not sure of amount of food? Use 1.5 lb per cubic foot of freezer space. Place dry ice on shelf above food to be kept frozen. For refrigerator, put dry ice on bottom shelf to keep food cool. This will keep food from spoiling for up to 3 days.
Tips: Refrain from opening the refrigerator or freezer. Do NOT place dry ice directly on glass shelf. Do NOT use in an operating refrigerator or freezer.

FOG: Fill a large metal bowl ½ full of hot water. Add 3-4 pieces of dry ice every 10-15 minutes. Keep water warm for maximum fog.

WITCHES BREW: Place dry ice in smaller plastic or metal bowl ½ full of hot water and float in punch bowl. Add dry ice and water as needed. Do NOT serve dry ice to your guests.

HIKING: Wrap a pound of dry ice in a towel and place in the bottom of your backpack. Put your beverages on top of the dry ice. They’ll be nice and cold when you need them.

PICNIC, BEACH OR TAILGATING: For a combination of frozen and chilled items in one cooler: use cardboard to divide cooler into two compartments. On frozen side, put 5 lbs of dry ice on top of frozen foods. On chilled side, put layer of dry ice on bottom of cooler then cover with newspaper or towel.

FROZEN TREATS: Place Popsicles or ice cream bars in small cooler, cover with dry ice.

CAMPING: Put layer of dry ice on bottom of cooler. Cover with cardboard or newspaper. Completely cover with wet ice. Pack as normal with food and beverages. The dry ice freezes the wet ice so everything in the cooler stays chilled for 3-4 days.