Storing Dry Ice: What you need to know

Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) is widely used not only in many industrial applications but also in daily life, including cleaning machinery, food preservation, shipping,… It is also used in the removal of wall paint and as a means of transporting pharmaceuticals. The following article discusses how to properly store dry ice and its risks

How to store dry ice

You should buy dry ice near the time of use

Because the rate of evaporation for dry ice is about 2% to 10% per day (it can vary depending on the temperature), it is not a good idea to purchase dry ice in large quantities and store it for extended periods of time. Instead, purchasing dry ice on an as-needed basis allows you to be more resourceful, saving both money and time.

Wearing protective gloves when touching dry ice

Dry ice can be dangerous. It is extremely cold, with a temperature of about -79 degrees Celsius. Contact with dry ice directly can cause injury or burn your skin, so when storing dry ice, you should wear insulated gloves and protective clothing to avoid any direct contact.

Storing dry ice with insulated containers

In order to preserve the best quality of dry ice, it is essential to use insulated containers that will prevent the dry ice from evaporating as quickly as possible. If using bad storage containers, the evaporation capacity of dry ice will be very high.

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Do not open the containers many times

The principle when storing dry ice is that we need to ensure the evaporation process takes place as slowly as possible. Therefore, you need to limit opening the containers too many times, only opening it when absolutely necessary. Opening and closing many times will cause cold air to evaporate and affect the quality of dry ice.

Dry ice should be placed in cool places

Another aspect to keep in mind when storing dry ice is that you need to keep the dry ice in a cool place, away from direct sunlight or places with high temperatures, like near a fireplace or in a kitchen. In case the outdoor air is cool, comfortable, you can put dry ice outdoors without having to worry much about the possibility of air loss of dry ice.

Pay attention to burns on hands or body parts that come in contact with dry ice

In case you accidentally encounter an unexpected accident with dry ice when storing, you need to pay attention to check for cold burns on your hands or any other parts that come in contact with dry ice. In some serious cases that cause the skin to blister or become flaky, you need to see doctors for advice and timely treatment.

Some notes when storing dry ice

When storing dry ice, in addition to the detailed instructions above, you also need to pay attention to a few other details to ensure that dry ice is stored in the best possible condition.

Always put dry ice in a cool place

As mentioned above, you can place dry ice away from direct sunlight. Besides, you also need to find a cool space to store dry ice, do not place dry ice in a narrow, closed space because they can be harmful to humans and animals.

When transporting dry ice, you need to place them in a well-insulated insulated cabinet and should not be placed near the driver. The CO2 emitted from the dry ice can make it difficult for the driver to breathe.

Do not use normal containers

When storing dry ice, you should not use a regular airtight container. Because during storage, some CO2 gas will be released. For good quality insulated cabinets, this is nothing to worry about. However, when using an airtight container, the released CO2 will be trapped in the container and cannot be released. In certain cases, CO2 gas will easily cause fire and explosion and endanger the surrounding space

Do not use a regular freezer or refrigerator

Conventional refrigerators or freezers are also not recommended for dry ice storage. Since these refrigerators are not designed to store dry ice, it is easy to damage both the dry ice and the refrigerator

Safety glasses should be worn when working with dry ice

When starting to use dry ice for essential work, you need to wear safety glasses as well as full gloves as mentioned above to minimize the access of dry ice to the body as well as the eyes

Avoid placing dry ice in an area lower than the ground

Areas below ground level (usually basements) also won’t have enough ventilation to let in CO2. In addition, CO2 is heavier than Oxygen, so the released CO2 will accumulate in a low, narrow space. In this case, you should not lower your head in areas of CO2 loss

Do not place dry ice directly on the contact surface

With extremely low temperatures (-79 degrees Celsius), you should not place dry ice directly on contact surfaces such as tables, chairs, etc. The heat emitted by dry ice can damage the surface it is placed on. We recommend placing dry ice in an insulated cabinet and using it only when absolutely necessary.

Properly dispose of dry ice

After using dry ice, any remaining dry ice should be disposed of properly by allowing it to evaporate on its own. However, you will need to prepare an open space for the dry ice to safely evaporate.

Conclusion

Storing dry ice is really necessary when using dry ice for applications in daily life. Therefore, you need to follow the principles when storing dry ice as well as use a good quality insulation cabinet to ensure the quality of dry ice is always in the best state. In case if you are looking for a good containers for storing dry ice, you can contact Specco2 for good promotion