Dry Ice FAQs

Everything you need to know about purchasing, handling, and storing dry ice—and more!

Where can I purchase dry ice?
You can order dry ice on our site and choose to pick up your order or have it delivered.

Do you have minimum orders?

We require a minimum order of 6kg of dry ice for all pick up orders, and a minimum 12kg order for same day delivery.

How much does dry ice cost?
Prices vary depending on the amount or type of dry ice you purchase. You can view our products and pricing here. Please call us to inquire about rates for our dry ice shipping services.

How much dry ice do I need?
Use our dry ice calculator to find out the right amount.

What are your hours of operation?
See our contact page for hours of service as they change seasonally.

What is dry ice?
Dry Ice is frozen carbon dioxide, a normal part of our earth’s atmosphere. It is the gas that we exhale during breathing and the gas that plants use in photosynthesis. It is also the same gas commonly added to water to make soda water. Dry Ice is particularly useful for freezing, and keeping things frozen because of its very cold temperature: -109.3°F or -78.5°C. Dry Ice is widely used because it is simple to freeze and easy to handle using insulated gloves.

What temperature is the surface of dry ice?
Dry ice has a surface temperature between -78 and -110 degrees Celsius.

Does dry ice melt?
No. Dry ice goes through a process called “sublimation” in which a solid substance skips the liquid state and changes directly into a gaseous state.

How is dry ice created?
Under normal conditions, carbon dioxide is a colourless and odorless gas. To make carbon dioxide snow (dry ice) the gas is cooled at high pressure which liquefies the gas. Further cooling takes the carbon dioxide to the, “triple point.” The highly pressured liquid is then suddenly expanded by spraying, and turns it into snow. The snow is then pressed into blocks weighing between 50-250 lbs.

How much of the liquid carbon dioxide turns to snow?
About 30% of the liquid which is sprayed turns to snow. The rest is turned back into gas and is returned to the compression and cooling process.

What will prevent the dry ice from turning into a gas again?
Nothing will prevent the dry ice from “subliming.” Once it is out of the high pressure it must be insulated to reduce the rate of sublimation.

What should dry ice be put into, to insulate it?
A “kraft” paper bag will reduce the sublimation rate on its own. The ice wrapped in the paper should be put into a container which is insulated as much as possible, but NEVER seal the ice into an air tight container due to the pressure.

What is the “triple point?”
When carbon dioxide is subject to a temperature of 69-degrees Celsius and also to a pressure of 60.4 psi, carbon dioxide can exist as a solid, a liquid and a gas at the same time. The ability to be in three states simultaneously is known as the triple point effect.

Does The Iceman provide containers to ship the dry ice in?
Yes. We offer Styrofoam containers called styro-shippers which can hold capacities of 9.5L to 8L. You can view our packaging products here.

How heavy is dry ice?
A block measuring 10” x 10” x 10” is 50lbs. A slab measuring 10” x 10” x 2” is 10lbs. A slab measuring 10” x 10” x 1” is 5lbs.

At what rate can I expect the dry ice to sublimate?

As a general rule, dry ice will sublimate at a rate of 1% per hour in a typical ice chest. This sublimation continues from the time of purchase – therefore, pick up dry ice as close to the time needed as possible. Bring an ice chest or some other insulated container to hold the dry ice and slow the sublimation rate. Dry ice changes directly from a solid to a gas – sublimation – in normal atmospheric conditions without going through a wet liquid stage.

What type of industries/people use dry ice?
Dry ice is widely used within the following industries or applications:

  • Laboratories
  • Pharmaceutical Companies
  • Hospitals
  • Drug Manufacturers
  • Universities & Elementary Schools
  • Caterers
  • Special Effects Companies
  • Refineries
  • Transport / Freight Forwarding Companies
  • Hunters & Campers
  • Individuals with bed bug issues use dry ice in one manner or another.

What are some benefits to using dry ice?
It is an alternative method to heat displacement refrigeration. (i.e. electric refrigerators) It is inexpensive & simple. It consumes no fuel or electricity. It can be cut, wrapped & delivered to predetermined specifications and limits waste.