Dry ice

Description

A former trademark for solid Carbon dioxide that is now in general use. Dry ice is a term coined by Prest Air Devices in 1925. At room temperature, solid carbon dioxide, does not melt, but rather sublimes in gaseous carbon dioxide. It is used for refrigeration of food and biological samples. It is also used in fog machines for special effects. Tiny pellets of dry ice have been used as a sandblast material.

Risks

• Extremely cold. Contact will cause burns.
• Gas formation in a closed space may cause suffocation.

Physical and Chemical Properties

• CO2 gas is heavier than air and will sink to the floor.
• Melting Point = -78.5 C

Resources and Citations

• Dry Ice Information: Dryiceinfo.com

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide (Accessed Dec. 9, 2005)

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998