How is dry ice made?

Dry ice is manufactured from liquid carbon dioxide (CO₂). Here’s the process:

1. Storage: Liquid CO₂ is stored at approximately 20 bar pressure and -20°C (-4°F).
2. Expansion: The liquid CO₂ is released through a nozzle, rapidly expanding to atmospheric pressure (1 bar).
3. Snow Formation: This rapid expansion creates dry ice “snow” as the CO₂ instantly solidifies.
4. Compression: The dry ice snow is then compressed at approximately 1,600 PSI.
5. Final Form: The compressed snow is extruded into blocks, pellets, or slices depending on the intended use.

Polar Tech’s ABSOLUTE-ZERO® Snow Makers allow you to produce dry ice snow on-demand from a standard CO₂ tank.

For more information, visit our Dry Ice Resource Page.