Dry ice is everywhere in North Texas during the summer. Our blazing heat can often cause traditional ice cubes to melt within minutes. When your standard cooling methods just aren’t cutting it anymore, it’s time to turn to the big guns. If you work with dry ice in Dallas-Fort Worth but don’t know the ins and outs of how it works, this article is for you. We’ve put together a helpful beginner’s guide to help you master the management and shipping of the coldest material most businesses will ever use.
From scientists at local labs to wedding planners rocking events across Metroplex venues, there’s a lot to know about this amazing cooling agent. Follow our tips to stay safe and efficient while working with blocks of carbon dioxide.
What Is Dry Ice?
Dry ice is the solid state of carbon dioxide, or CO2. Most people are familiar with dry ice as the substance that creates fog when placed in hot water. While it looks and feels like glassy, frozen ice, it isn’t water at all. Instead of melting into a liquid as it heats up, dry ice changes immediately to a gas.
That’s why we call it dry ice. It doesn’t become wet or create any puddles as it returns to a gaseous state. There is no weepy cardboard box or frozen chunks of water to dispose of.
Dry ice can get colder than water ice. In fact, it only registers at about -109.3 degrees F. This means that it will keep your goods colder longer than traditional ice ever could. Remember that as you work with it, dry ice is not only cold but also turns into a large volume of gas as it heats.
Common Uses of Dry Ice in DFW
The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is home to many industries that use dry ice. Our area is a shipping hub, and our vibrant food scene requires top-notch cooler material to get ingredients where they need to go.
Shipping Cold and Cooler Material
Dry ice is most commonly used to keep things frozen during transport. Our local food purveyors and lab facilities ship material all over the country using dry ice as the refrigerant of choice. It won’t melt or leave behind any moisture, which can be crucial when transporting pharmaceutical samples or fine frozen meats.
Stage Fog
Solid CO2 also has an incredibly useful visual effect. When placed in hot water, it creates a dense, white fog that tends to stay low to the ground. This “low-lying fog” can add some serious ambiance to special events all across town.
Dry Ice Blasting
A method of cleaning called dry ice blasting has taken North Texas by storm over the last few years. Similar to sandblasting, frozen pellets of CO2 are sprayed at high velocities to remove debris from a target surface. It’s non-abrasive and non-conductive, which makes it ideal for cleaning electrical components or smoke and soot damage after a fire. Best of all, it doesn’t introduce ANY moisture to the affected environment.
Saving Frozen Foods
In Texas, storms come through in the spring and knock out power left and right. Neighbors everywhere throw blocks of dry ice into their freezer to prevent the nearly thawed food from going bad. One large block can keep an insulated freezer cold for days if necessary.
Dry Ice Safety Tips
Dry ice is unique because it is dangerous to handle if proper precautions are not taken. By following a few easy safety tips, you can avoid injury to yourself and others.
1. Don’t touch it with your hands
If you’ve ever burned your hand on a piece of ice, you know how much colder dry ice gets. Use heavy gloves, tongs, or a scoop to move it from point A to point B. Dropping it on the floor or accidentally exposing your skin to it can cause frostbite. The effects are immediate, and the pain feels just like touching something hot.
2. Ensure that you are ventilated
Remember how we mentioned dry ice turns into a gas? As it covers, it pushes away oxygen molecules and replaces them with CO2. If you use it in an enclosed area with little airflow like a walk-in freezer or the trunk of your car, you can be poisoned by the high concentration of gas.
Always use it in an area with adequate ventilation, and if you start to feel dizzy or breathe faster than normal, exit the area immediately.
3. Wear eye protection
Dry ice is often stored in blocks when it reaches your local supplier. When breaking larger blocks into smaller portions, shards of carbon dioxide can fly toward your face. Wear safety glasses or a face shield to prevent possible injury.
4. Store it safely out of the reach of children
Kids (and pets) LOVE watching dry ice “smoke” once they see what it does. Unfortunately, touching or ingesting the substance can cause real harm. Always store any dry ice by itself and out of reach of unauthorized personnel.
How to Store Dry Ice
There are a lot of logistics that go along with properly storing dry ice. First and foremost, never store it in a sealed container. Because it continuously turns from a solid to a gas, storing it in an airtight plastic cooler with a latch or screw-top glass jar will result in an explosion.
Instead, store it in a well-insulated cooler and cover with a lid that doesn’t fit quite right or one that has holes drilled into it. Styrofoam coolers will often perform better than their plastic counterparts because they allow gas to escape more freely. You can also minimize the surface area of air surrounding the ice by filling up any extra space with crumpled newspaper or paper towels.
Another helpful hint is to buy as late as possible before you need it. Dry ice has a limited lifespan, no matter how well you store it. You can expect to lose around 5-10 pounds of ice every day to sublimation if kept in a good commercial cooler. Schedule your pickup or delivery day as close to the event or shipping departure as possible.
Find Dry Ice Near Me in DFW
As with any business across our expansive metro area, it can be difficult to know who to trust when you need dry ice quickly. Not only that, but you need a supplier that understands North Texas weather patterns and how they affect temperature-controlled materials.
When you search for dry ice near me in Dallas, Fort Worth, or Arlington, you want to make sure the supplier doesn’t spend all day transporting it around in a hot truck. At Emergency Ice, we know how quickly it can sublimate on a warm day. Contact us today to learn more about our fast, affordable delivery service.
Pro-Tip: If you must transport dry ice in your vehicle, ALWAYS crack a window when you’re driving. Leaving a window cracked open during the Texas summer is never ideal, but it will prevent harmful gas buildup in your car.
Call On Emergency Ice | Expert DFW Dry Ice Delivery
Don’t sweat the small stuff when managing the ice logistics of your business or special event. We’ve been providing temperature-controlled solutions to the North Texas area for decades. At Emergency Ice, we’re experts in all your cooling needs. Need dry ice near me in Fort Worth for a science project? We got you. Frozen water bottles for disaster relief in Dallas? You betcha!
We offer high-quality dry ice to customers all along I-35 and I-45 every day of the year. No calls too big or too small, we’re here to help 24/7. Buy dry ice online or give us a call today to schedule your next delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long will dry ice last?
This depends on the situation. If you store it in a traditional styrofoam or plastic cooler, you can expect it to sublimate at a rate of about 5-10 pounds every 24 hours. It all depends on how well you “bundle” your ice.
Q: Can I put dry ice in my drink to make it smoke?
While it is an impressive trick, never allow guests or clients to ingest the solid CO2. There are special machines that create the effect without risk of ingestion.
Q: How do I dispose of dry ice?
Easy! Simply allow it to sublimate in a well-ventilated area. Dump it outside or in a room with a window open and walk away. NEVER leave it out on the floor where someone will accidentally walk by and touch it.