Unique among the industrial gas products is a substance that is neither a gas nor a liquid, but a solid form of carbon dioxide—dry ice. As discussed in our report on page 42 of this issue, dry ice is used extensively in the food industry and increasingly for applications in biomedical markets.
Dry ice sublimates (transitions from a solid to a gas without passing through a liquid phase) at −78.5 °C. This extreme cold makes handling dry ice dangerous as it quickly can cause frostbite if it comes in contact with skin. As dry ice changes from a solid into a gas, handlers also have to be aware of elevated carbon dioxide levels that can build up in confined working spaces.
Safety tips
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