What looks cool and cools engines in Formula 1 repeatedly leads to accidents in industry: Dry ice. Particularly where the solid carbon dioxide is used to cool temperature-sensitive foodstuffs and products, caution is called for. We show what dangers dry ice poses in refrigerated transport and what alternatives there are.

Is dry ice dangerous in refrigerated transport?

It cools engines, freezes warts and creates clouds of mist out of thin air: there are many uses for dry ice or solid carbon dioxide (_Co2). In industry, we know it mainly as a coolant in the context of passive coolingWhen companies transport temperature-sensitive food and other products to the end customer(last-mile delivery) and do not want to or cannot use a refrigerated truck with a permanently installed unit for this purpose, dry ice keeps the transport boxes within the required temperature range.

The problem: This type of cooling works well, but handling the solid carbon dioxide is not entirely without danger: Freezer burn and the risk of suffocation are just two of the risks to which employees of retail and logistics companies are exposed when handling dry ice.

What exactly is dry ice?

Dry ice is another name for carbon dioxide or _CO2 in its solid form. It is white and odorless and is formed when _Co2 liquefied under pressure is expanded: Some of the carbon dioxide vaporizes, extracting the heat needed for vaporization from the rest. The "remainder" cools, producing so-called carbonic acid snow. This carbonic acid snow can be pressed into any shape (pellets or nuggets, for example) - et voilà: Dry ice!

What's so dangerous about dry ice?

The reason why dry ice is so valuable for refrigerated transport is also the reason why it is so dangerous: dry ice does not melt, but instead goes directly into the gaseous state at a temperature of -78.4 degrees Celsius. Experts call this process, in which gaseous _Co2 is released, sublimation.

According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, even small amounts of released_CO2 can trigger symptoms of poisoning. The risk of suffocation due to an increased Co2 _{concentration} increases with the amount of dry ice in relation to the room size and the ventilation situation (Source). Other hazards that arise from the use of dry ice in refrigerated transport include.

• Freezer burn: Direct contact with the skin can result in cold burns, also known as freezer burn. Prolonged skin contact with dry ice can lead to the death of deeper tissue. Freezer burn is extremely dangerous and requires immediate medical treatment!
• Explosion hazard: Since the gas expands during sublimation, airtight containers filled with dry ice may burst.
• Headaches, dizziness, visual disturbances: Even the smallest amounts of _Co2 cause complaints that can be the precursor to carbon dioxide poisoning.

Is dry ice toxic?

No, dry ice is not directly toxic - nevertheless, consumption of dry ice can be fatal. This is because dry ice causes severe cold burns when it comes into contact with human skin and other structures. So anyone who eats dry ice will not poison themselves, but will very likely die from severe internal injuries.

Tips for handling dry ice

Since even the smallest amounts of_CO2 pose a suffocation hazard in enclosed spaces, dry ice should be handled either outdoors or in well-ventilated rooms. Employees working with dry ice should wear gloves and protective goggles. They should also always protect their arms and legs by wearing long clothing. Other important tips for handling dry ice are:

• Adequately ventilaterooms in which dry ice has been stored/worked with before entering.
• The dry ice tongs do not replace the gloves!
• Since carbon dioxide is heavier than air, the_{CO2 concentration} is always highest near the ground.

Is there an alternative to dry ice?

The use of solid carbon dioxide in refrigerated transport has long been controversial - and not just because dry ice is dangerous to handle:

Trading and logistics companies that use solid_CO2 for cooling purposes are also facing ever-increasing bureaucratic hurdles . In air and sea transport, dry ice must now be labeled as a dangerous good (Source), which means that more and more logistics companies and airlines are refusing to transport refrigerated packaging containing solid carbon dioxide. But there are other reasons why companies are increasingly looking for an alternative to dry ice:

• Planning effort: Logistics companies that refrigerate goods with dry ice rely on just-in-time delivery, which requires a lot of planning.
• Costs: As the price of dry ice is subject to strong fluctuations, companies find it difficult to plan their expenses.
• Sustainability: For better rationing, dry ice often comes in disposable plastic packaging. And because the solid_CO2 sublimates completely, new dry ice is needed for each transport. Sustainable is different!
• _{Corporate carbon footprint}: The use of dry ice is reflected 1:1 in the_{corporate carbon footprint}. Even the best calculations don't help.

Is dry ice harmful to the environment?

The fact that dry ice is potentially dangerous for employees who come into contact with the solid_CO2 is undisputed. Opinions differ on the question of whether the carbonic acid snow pressed into pellets is harmful to the environment .

Dry ice manufacturers repeatedly point out that the production of dry ice merely changes the aggregate state of the naturally occurring carbon dioxide, i.e. dry ice would not put any additional_CO2 into circulation. However, this argument overlooks the fact that the production of dry ice is extremely costly:

To turn carbon dioxide into pure dry ice, the gas has to be washed, desulfurized, dried and deodorized. And because dry ice dissolves completely during use, this resource-intensive process runs in a continuous loop. This means that dry ice cooling may not be harmful to the environment per se, but it is by no means sustainable either.

Dry ice alternatives

Dry ice is dangerous, requires a lot of planning and is not sustainable. Nevertheless, many companies do not want to do without solid_CO2 - for one simple reason: Until now, there has been a lack of alternatives. Without dry ice, passive cooling of temperature-sensitive products only works for a very limited time. Conventional cooling elements (e.g. freezer packs) used instead of dry ice only keep the goods in the required temperature range for a few hours.

Temprify solves this problem with technical innovation! We have developed special batteries with extremely high energy density and a cooling duration of up to 96 hours. Due to the special design of the temprify coolers one single battery per box is sufficient to keep the goods for up to 4 days in temperature ranges from -25 °C to +25 degrees Celsius and to ensure a HACCP-compliant delivery delivery.

Dry ice free cooling solutions from temprify

We believe that refrigeration and freezer logistics must work without high costs and a poor environmental footprint. That's why we are harnessing the potential of passive cooling for commercial refrigeration and freezer solutions and developing dry ice-free, scalable products. Our customers benefit from maximum cost efficiency while paving the way to a green future for refrigeration logistics. Do you have any questions about our products? Feel free to send us an e-mail! (Contact)

Click here to go to the one-stop store for sustainable, cost-effective cooling solutions!

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