How Long Would Dry Ice Last In A Cooler (And Why)?

Exact Answer: For 18-24 hours

Dry ice is a dense snow-like substance and the solid form of carbon dioxide, the gas which is taken by plants and also used as a fire extinguisher. It doesn’t melt into liquid-like ice.

At first, carbon dioxide is liquefied, and then dry ice is injected into a holding tank. It is frozen at a temperature of -78.5°Celsius or -109°Fahrenheit then compressed into solid ice. It is how dry ice is made.

Dry ice is used to preserve frozen food where mechanical cooling is not available. Dry ice would last for 18-24 hours inside a cooler.

How Long Would Dry Ice Last In A Cooler (And Why)?

Coolers are used for the transportation of frozen goods and commodities. Dry ice lasts 18-24 hours approximately with 1-2 ice blocks. It can also last up to 3-4 days, depending on the larger size of the cooler.

The smaller the amount, the more it will last in the cooler. The time can be estimated because the life of dry ice depends upon multiple factors such as payload size, more flexible design, etc.

If more frozen food is needed to be stored or shipped, dry ice is required in large amounts. To know how much quantity of dry ice is needed for a certain amount of goods, a dry ice calculator is used.

Air and space are enemies of dry ice as ice sublimates very fast when it comes in contact. It takes 24 hours(in a cooler) for 5 pounds of dry ice to turn to gas. Hence, it should be bought before a few hours.

Dry ice should be stored in styrofoam or inside any insulator cooler. It is because it will help dry ice to maintain the required ventilation and the temperature.

For maximum safety, dry ice should be stored in approved ice coolers. If skin comes in contact with dry ice, severe frostbite will occur. Internal frostbite could also take place if the same is repeated with the mouth. Storing dry ice in the freezer will cause the melting of dry ice into gas because the temperature of the freezer is too high for dry ice. It doesn’t create a mess.

Why Would Dry Ice Last In A Cooler For So Long?

Frozen carbon dioxide or dry ice has a surface temperature of -109.3°F. When placed in a different environment, dry ice lasts up to 24 hours; when placed in liquid, it will last for 15 to 45 minutes; when left outside, it changes its form after 3-5 hours.

Dry ice is a substance that sublimates, which means it goes from solid form to gas form directly without changing shape to liquid, which doesn’t create a mess. One should leave the room if he or she feels breathing difficulty around the dry ice.

Dry ice fragments shouldn’t be eaten because they will cause severe burns to the throat. Never sleep in the room where the storage of dry ice is done. Storage of dry ice in the freezer will cause the freezer to shut down.

The cooler should be allowed to be kept in a colder area. When dry ice is kept inside water, it first forms bubbles, and then the bubble bursts, and the carbon dioxide is released into the air.

Conclusion

Storing dry ice in the freezer will cause the melting of dry ice into gas rapidly because the temperature of the freezer is too high for dry ice. For maximum safety, dry ice should be stored in approved ice coolers. One must not let kids move around dry ice due to its nature of causing trouble.

Dry ice can be seriously hazardous if it isn’t well ventilated. It is essential to know everything about dry ice before using it. Once the melting process begins, a lot of latent heat is also required as per the quantity available. This leads to a change in the surrounding temperature.

References

1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/05695557808975195
2. https://search.proquest.com/openview/792ff64d76425c3a76e55574a23fed9a/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y