Dry ice is a material used frequently in our daily lives, especially for food preservation, distribution and industrial cleaning. However, they can sublime quite a lot during transportation from the manufacturer to the consumer if we don’t preserve them carefully at the right temperature. So, what is the solution when it comes to transporting dry ice? Together with Specco2’s team, let’s figure out the solution to this problem in the article below.
What to know before transporting dry ice
Dry ice is a solid form of CO2 at -79°C, usually shipped for multiple uses such as food preservation, laboratory test results, etc. It is also the main material used for dry ice blasting mainly utilized for cleaning industrial applications. Due to its freezing cold nature, when transporting dry ice we need to pay special attention to a few things to avoid possible risks or hazards that may arise. This includes things like:
- Protecting your eyes and hands: Exposure to the extremely cold surface temperatures of dry ice can cause skin damage and severe frostbite. Therefore, use insulated or cryogenic gloves and wear safety glasses or a face shield.
- Do not store dry ice in poorly ventilated areas, such as basements because even a small amount of dry ice can evaporate and sublime into CO2 rapidly. This can be extremely toxic at high concentrations and dangerous to the user’s health. You can experience symptoms such as respiratory arrest and unconsciousness when inhaling during transportation or work.
- Do not store dry ice in a sealed container: In a closed environment, when dry ice sublimes, it will come back to CO2 gas form which can result in pressure caused. Due to this, the container can even crack or explode.
Dry ice can easily evaporate at temperatures above -79°C if not stored well. Therefore, affected the quantity of dry ice during shipping and also its condition and quality. In addition, the rate of sublimation also depends on the storage method (container, insulated boxes, etc) the ambient temperature and the size of the dry ice. Aware of this situation, businesses often use insulated boxes to slow down the sublimation process with a wide variety of sizes and designs. In particular, Olivo is one of the leading brands with specialized insulation cabinets for the purpose of transporting and storing dry ice.
Olivo – The leading solution for dry ice transportation
Olivo is the world’s leading brand of insulated boxes chosen and trusted thanks to their eco-friendly properties in each product, which is very long-lasting and can be used sustainably over time. Olivo’s product lines are made from easily recyclable EPP (Expanded polypropylene) and non-toxic eutectic plates, which are easy to use and thermally protect the dry ice stored to stay cold for a long time. These factors are all important because not only do they protect the health of the carrier, but also reduce the sublimation of the dry ice significantly during the process of transporting.
Olivio insulation cabinets can all be reused and divided into 3 different types, in terms of configuration as well as storage volume, depending on the needs of the user:
- Roll: is a range of front opening insulated containers equipped with a door, generally mounted on wheels, used for service catering and seafood storage. The product is ATP certified, which can maintain the temperature of the product for more than 24 hours and travel more than 80km while keeping the ideal cold temperature.
- Bac: is the name of the range of top-opening chest-type insulated boxes with hinged lids, most widely used to transport loose or packaged foodstuffs, chemicals or healthcare products. It is also specialized for the natural gas industry to store ice cubes or dry ice pellets, certified for ISTA shipping packaging testing and guaranteed ideal temperature for up to 16 hours.
- Box: is a range of reusable insulated boxes designed for use by logistics professionals delivering directly to the consumer, specialized for Last-mile delivery purposes and preservation needs up to 12 hours. Guarantee min 500 to max 1000 reuse without any problem.
Thanks to its self-contained system, the Olivo Insulation Boxes do not need any external power to run and maintain temperature, so it is extremely flexible to use. Even if you encounter problems during transportation such as traffic jams, having to close and open the car door many times, the container has to wait to be unloaded from the cargo ship, etc., rest assured that the goods are completely thermally protected and there is no cold chain interruption. Thereby, minimizing operating and maintenance costs compared to using specialized refrigerated trucks.
Some products of Olivo can be used to transport dry ice
ROLL insulation cabinets – Insulation cabinets with wheels
ROLL 370
- External dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 800 x 600 x 1670 mm
- Internal dimensions in mm (D x H): 620 x 430 x 1370 mm
- Inner volume: 365 liters
- K-value: 0.37 W/
- m2.K Unladen weight: 80Kg
- Insulation material: Polyurethane foam
- : Food grade polyethylene
- Size size: Euronorm crate 600 x 400 – Half Euro-pallet 800 x 600
ROLL 1300
- Outer dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 1100 x 1100 x 1930 mm
- Inside dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 900 x 910 x 1570 mm
- Inner volume: 1285 liters
- K-value: 0.31 W/
- m2.K Unladen weight: 156Kg
- Insulation material: Polyurethane foam
- : Food grade polyethylene
- Size: Palette Asia 1100 x 1100
BAC – Insulation cabinet without wheels with top cover
BAC 55
- Outer dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 600 x 500 x 580 mm
- Inside dimensions in mm (L) x D x H): 415 x 315 x 410 mm
- Internal volume: 53 liters
- K-value: 0.38 W/
- weight: 16Kg
- Insulation: Polyurethane foam
- Case material: Food-graded polyethylene
- Dimensions: Quarter ISO pallet 1000 x 1200
BAC 320
- Outer dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 1200 x 800 x 930 mm
- Inside dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 980 x 580 x 570 mm
- Inner volume: 324 liters
- K-value: 0.35 W/m2.K
- Weight no load: 89Kg
- Insulation: Polyurethane foam
- material: Food-graded polyethylene
- Size: Euro-pallet 800 x 1200
BAC 600
- Outer dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 1200 x 1200 x 970 mm
- Inside dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 1000 x 1000 x 600 mm
- Inner volume: 600 liters
- K-value: 0.26 W/m2.K
- Weight no load: 174Kg
- Insulation: Polyurethane foam
- Material: Laminated polyester
- Size: Special size
The BAC series products are designed with a chest and lid made of real graded monobloc spinning polyethylene with internal convection grooves.
In addition, for off-site maintenance and repair projects that require transporting and storing large quantities of dry ice within a day, a special dry ice thermal container such as the BAC 600 will completely meet your needs. Thereby, preserving and ensuring the quality and quantity of dry ice until it is used.
BOX – Dedicated insulation cabinet with open top lid
BOX 34
- Outer dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 555 x 360 x 331 mm
- Inner dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 490 x 300 x 255 mm
- Inner volume: 34 liters
- K-value: W/
- m2.K Unladen weight: 1.6Kg
- Insulation material: Expanded polypropylene
- Material: Expanded polypropylene
- Size: Special size
BOX 64
- BOXoutside dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 595 x 395 x 455 mm
- Inside dimensions in mm (L x D x H): 505 x 320 x 370 mm
- Inner volume: 60 liters
- Value K: W/m2.K Unladen
- weight: 2.1Kg
- Insulation material: Expanded polypropylene
- Shell material: Expanded polypropylene
- Size: Quarter Euro-pallet 800 x 1200
BOX series includes insulation products with chest and lid made of EPP material and can be easily stacked during transport.
Conclusion
To transport dry ice over long distances, the most ideal solution is to use an insulated box to keep the ice in the best condition. Thereby, minimizing the loss of ice due to evaporation, minimizing the interruption of the cold supply chain and reducing operating costs significantly compared to using specialized refrigerated trucks.
Right now, Specco2 is proud to be the authorized and exclusive distributor of Olivo in Vietnam. If your business needs advice, please contact Specco2 for 24/7 support.
