It is important to use gloves when handling dry ice. It is so cold that if held for an extended period of time it can cause frostbite. To dispose of the ice when you are done you can simply set it down outside or you can put it in the sink and run water over it to help the sublimation process.

Here are some day to day uses for Dry Ice

  • A theater fog machine is generally a 30 to 55-gallon metal or plastic water barrel with a 110-volt or a 220-volt hot water heater to keep the water hot. Dry Ice is placed in a bucket with holes to allow hot water to enter. When the bucket is lowered into the hot water fog is instantly produced. The resulting water vapor fog is gently blown by a fan and directed to the desired area by an air duct tube. Fog stops whenever the bucket of Dry Ice is pulled out of the water. More modern fog machines pump heated water over a trey holding the Dry Ice.

  • Small pieces of Dry Ice placed in an empty one liter plastic soda bottle and then filled to with hot water may explode 2 to 120 seconds after the top is tightly screwed on. It also may crack anywhere and just fizzle. Wear gloves and eye protection because the resulting explosion may dangerously push out pieces of the plastic bottle or the bottle top. A woman in Houstonstanding too close lost her eye from the ejected bottle top, so make sure no one is holding the bottle nor anyone is near it when it explodes. Although the explosion sprays mostly carbon dioxide gas and water, many municipalities classify them with more dangerous firecrackers and outlaw them. Southern Utah’s “Spectrum”, reports: “It’s a felony to drop a dry-ice bomb inUtah.” Sometimes these dry ice bombs are called “terrorist devices” and people using them are arrested. In our area several teenagers were jailed for three days for setting off these Dry Ice firecrackers. The logical defense explains there is no chemical reaction – only a change in the state of matter – from a solid to a gas. Unfortunately there may be a high cost in lawyers fees to persuade a DA or judge of this fact.

  • 50 to 100 pounds of dry ice dropped directly into a heated swimming pool will make fog for an hour or longer depending on the water temperature and the size of the Dry Ice pieces. Because of the Jacuzzi’s hot water, it makes the most fog the quickest. As long as the water is kept hot, it can take 50 to 100 pounds per hour. The Dry Ice will carbonate the water for several days. If possible drain the Jacuzzi. The swimming pool will read more alkaline during this time so wait to add acid until the carbonation has dissipated. If the temperature of the water in a swimming pool, fountain, waterfall, or birdbath is too cold (less than 60F) the Dry Ice will bubble but produce much less fog.

  • Pick up Dry Ice as close to departure time as convenient. Carry it in a well-insulated container such as an ice chest or insulated soft pack. If it is transported inside a car or van for more than 10 minutes make sure there is fresh air available. Most airlines will not let you carry more than two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of Dry Ice on the airplane without special arrangements. Because Dry Ice will sublimate continuously from the time of purchase, you can confidently declare that there is no more than two kilograms at the time you check in at the airport. Dry Ice will sublimate slightly faster due to the lower pressure that the airline maintains during flight. Make plans to refrigerate or add Dry Ice when arriving at your destination.

I hope this has help a bit to let you know what is dry ice.