What do our customers use dry ice for? Let’s look at the agricultural sector as the freeze branding season begins. Freeze-branding is a method of stock identification. It has the advantages of being the only permanent identification available for cows (as ear tags can be lost or fade over time) and freeze brands are easily visible from a distance.
So how does it work? Individual irons (usually made of a copper alloy) are used for each letter and number. They are submerged in a mixture of dry ice and alcohol, cooling them to a temperature of -78oC. When the cooled iron is applied to the animal’s hide, it alters the hair follicle to remove the pigmentation. As the hair grows back white, after two to three months the freeze brand should be visible on the hide.
