- one
pass cleaning saves time and labor
- no
harmful solvents
- no
cleanup afterward -- the dry ice just evaporates
- no
water blasting mess
- no
soda blasting film residue to remove
- no
hazmat residue disposal costs
- no
odor or dust to contain
- gentle,
non-abrasive cleaning of wood or delicate architectural features
- equipment
can be rented, saving capital costs
- no
expensive hazmat training or protection for operators
OTHER
USES
HOME MADE ROOT BEER
To make one gallon of root
beer: One pound sugar One gallon water Two ounces root beer extract
Add 1 to 2 pounds of Food
Grade Dry Ice to carbonate. Tip for carbonation: put in a triple
size plastic container (1/3 liquid and 2/3 air) and put the lid on
tight. The pressure will dissolve more into the mix and make it fizzier.
Otherwise have Club soda to add for carbonation. If you let the root
beer fog too much you will loose the carbonation. Bring several pounds
extra dry ice and put in as you are serving in order to let the kids
see the fog affect. You must keep the root beer from freezing. Dry
ice is -109.3°F and it will freeze the liquid. Add extra water
if freezing starts. Do not ladle Dry Ice into cups. Put regular ice
directly into cups for additional cooling. For different ideas add
dry ice to grape juice and pineapple juice for a goolish witches brew.
CARBONATE LIQUIDS
When CO2 is added to plain water
it will make sparkling mineral water. CO2 is extensively
used throughout the world in the beverage industry for making soda
pop.
DENTS & HAIL DAMAGE
Dry Ice will condense metal and thereby shrink small dents on your
car. Place the Dry Ice on the inside of the dent if possible. Use heavy
gloves and press flat sheet against dent. If it is not possible to
get on the inside concave part of the dent, then using heavy gloves
hold the Dry Ice so a corner can fit into the bottom lowest part of
the cratered dent. Hold the Dry Ice until the metal is frosted at least
2 inches beyond the dent. Let the metal warm up (in the sun is the
best) and repeat the procedure. Sometimes the dent will pop out perfectly.
More often it will not be possible to get a flat smooth finish, but
the dent will be reduced noticeably. Creased metal will still show
the crease line but the dent will be far less pronounced. I have not
seen any paint damage, but I'm sure if the paint is not strongly adhered,
it could peel away.
FOOD STORAGE
Placing Dry Ice in the bottom of a dry food storage container
is a very economical way to fumigate and store dry goods for an extended
amount of time. Make sure the Dry Ice is not frost covered, as that
will add moisture. Put one to two ounces of Dry Ice per five-gallon
storage container in the bottom and then pour in the dry food. As the
Dry Ice sublimates it replaces the oxygen in the container with CO2.
Leave the lid on but not tightly sealed until the Dry Ice completely
sublimates. Then snap the lid tight. Without oxygen neither bugs nor
bacteria can grow. This process is good for seeds, grains, legumes,
flower, powdered milk, etc. An excellent site for further information
can be found at Walton Feed Inc: http://www.waltonfeed.com/self/upack/dryice.html
REMOVE FLOOR TILE
Dry Ice will loosen floor tile by freezing and slightly
shrinking them allowing easier removal. The cold temperature of the
Dry Ice will break the bond of the adhesive. Place the Dry Ice sheets
centered on the tile to be removed and wait until it is completely
frosted. If it has not popped off, slight tapping with a hammer or
prying with a screwdriver will allow it to be lifted off easily. It
is too time consuming to remove a whole floor, but is ideal for removing
a few tiles that need replacing.
GOPHER ERADICATION
Dry Ice is heavier than air so it will find its way
to the bottom of gopher dwellings. Place 1 to 2 inch pieces as deep
into each hole as can be reached and fill the front of the hole with
dirt. If you miss some holes the process may have to be repeated. Jerry
Yamamoto of Hayward, California reports that he successfully used Dry
Ice to eradicate regular Argentine ants from his front yard. Perhaps
this could work on fire ants too.
PROTECT SPORT FISH AND GAME
Pack your trophy animal or fish in Dry Ice to minimize
spoilage while transporting or shipping it home. Do not let the Dry
Ice touch the game directly as it may cause superficial damage. Dry
Ice can be added to regular ice to extend its cooling. For best results
use an insulated container.
BRANDING
Dry Ice is used to super cool alcohol for branding
horses, cattle, and hunting dogs. The alcohol must be 90% pure - not
rubbing alcohol. Methyl alcohol is most commonly used. Liquid Nitrogen
is too cold to work properly. This is now the second most common way
to brand according to Tony Clark of Bassett, Nebraska.
MEDICAL
Doctors, to freeze skin for wart removal, use Dry
Ice or liquid nitrogen. Many medical offices ship biological specimens
in Dry Ice for laboratory testing or further processing. Dry Ice is
also used to keep bone morrow frozen when it is shipped.
TRANSPORTING PLANTS
Dry Ice will keep flowers cool and delay blooming.
Maintaining ready to flower plants at 34°F will retard blooming.
Do not allow Dry Ice to get too close and freeze plants.
PLANT GROWTH
A small additional amount of Carbon Dioxide will increase
the rate of plant growth.
CHEMICAL RETARDANT
Its low temperature slows or stops some chemical reactions.
It is used to store and ship special adhesives It is also a neutralizing
agent for alkalis.
PRESSURIZING AGENT
When Dry Ice changes from a solid to a gas it absorbs
heat and expands to over 800 times its original volume.
INERTING MEDIUM
Dry Ice will replace oxygen in a container preventing
or putting out fires. It is used to safely remove underground gas storage
tanks.
SHRINK FITTINGS
Dry Ice will shrink metal to slide on sleeves, bushings
or bearings. Add Dry Ice to a 90% pure alcohol bath to create a cold
liquid near -109.3°F. that can be used like liquid nitrogen.
DEFLASHING MOLDED PLASTICS AND RUBBER
Dry Ice will cool and shrink whatever it touches.
Rubber parts are tumbled in a barrel with Dry Ice, making them brittle
for easy flash removal. It is used in cold grinding of Plexiglas, PVC
resins and vinyl's.
FRESH MEAT PROCESSING
Dry Ice will keep the temperature cold and reduce
spoilage while processing meat. This is used in industrial processing
of ground meats and sausages.
MOSQUITOES
CO2 may attract mosquitoes away
from animals and people. Place pieces of Dry Ice away from areas where
people are congregating. The theory is that mosquitoes find animals
and people by their CO2 exhaled during breathing.
Melissa Palm reports that dry ice does attract mosquitoes. "I
use dry ice in some of my mosquito traps as bait and find that it works
rather well." The Clarke Family of Companies of Roselle IL., sells
a mosquito trap designed for using Dry Ice.
WELLS
Dry Ice combined with detergent, or alone, will improve
porosity in irrigation wells. Bill Hayoz of Reliant Dry Ice in New
Mexico, explains that dry ice is used regularly by the ranchers to
improve water flow. He used about 60 pounds of dry ice in his windmill
well, capped it off, and waited several days before the water came
back with a greater flow. The city of Mosquero used 800 pounds
of dry ice for their city wells. Most well men will use dry ice before
drilling deeper.
OIL INDUSTRY
Dex Welch reports "Dry Ice has been used in the
oil fields for years to clean tank bottoms. When paraffin, sludge,
etc build up, a chemical is added along with Dry Ice to roll (stir
up) the tank bottom. This breaks out the liquids & separates water
from oil in paraffin mixtures so that water can be removed & the
oil saved." Liquid CO2 is also used to crack and increase oil
flow in wells.
BAKING INDUSTRY
Dry Ice is used in mixing ingredients and retarding yeast
growth until the proper time.
FREEZE FRESH STRAWBERRIES PERFECTLY
Karyn Gilbert writes: "I use Dry Ice to freeze my strawberries
- fresh, washed ones, once a year:
Wash
fresh strawberries
Place directly on top of dry ice in cooler for about 20-30 minutes
Close cooler
Remove when solid
Place in freezer safe plastic bag, mark with date
Place in freezer - to thaw take out and set on plate at room temp (use
within a year to be sure freshness)
They will thaw almost like fresh - without being soggy like usual frozen
strawberries are.
I
suppose this might work for other fruits and veggies because of the
quick freeze time, not allowing them to get soggy..."
FUMIGATION - Powder-Post Beetles
in Furniture
Jim Lockhart of Littleton Colorado writes:
"After allowing the infected cabinet to spend 18 hours in the
closed freezer with 30 lbs of dry ice at -25 deg F, I went ahead and
removed the dry ice, saving what was left of it in a small ice chest.
I closed the freezer up again and allowed the cabinet inside to slowly
warm up to room temperature (another 12 hours) then took it out. I
checked for signs of life with a stethoscope in the places where the
powder post beetles could be heard and – not a sound. I checked
again for signs of life 24 hours later – still nothing. It would
appear that the insects either froze, suffocated or both. Of course
I have no way to tell whether or not the freezing or lack of oxygen
also killed any eggs – only time will tell. I am confident enough
at this point that this worked and would recommend it to anyone in
a similar situation. Feel free to include
any and/or all the info I’ve given you on your website. This
is a much less toxic way of killing insects than the use of chemical
sprays and fumigants."
Jim
writes one year later to update there is no sign of any beetle activity
and "I’ve been telling fellow woodworkers about the idea
and they, too have met with success without doing any damage to the
wood or it’s finish."
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