Dry Ice Applications
Our solutions are trusted across a wide range of industries where temperature control, cleaning, cooling, and process efficiency are critical. From pharmaceutical manufacturing to food processing, inflight catering to cold chain logistics, we help businesses achieve reliable performance and operational excellence.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES & LABORATORIES
Due to it’s low temperature, dry ice is used to inhibit the growth or decline of some biological products. It safely contains samples for storage or transport. It also acts as a stabilising agent for a variety of pharmaceutical products. Dry is ideal for storage and shipping because it sublimates without leaving any residue or waste.
PRECONDITIONING OF ENVIROTAINERS
Preconditioning is a term used to describe the temperature of the container or product prior to loading. The container must also be pre-cooled before loading so as to ensure an unbroken cold chain. Dry ice blocks are typically used with envirotainers for longer shipping periods or high value shipments.
HOSPITALS AND CLINICAL RESEARCH
Dry Ice is used to safely store or transport blood products and organs for donation, transplant or examination. Store medical samples without any disruption or loss of sample quality. Universities use dry ice for various research programmes, maintaining experiments and samples at required stability and temperatures.
FOOD PROCESSING
Meat processors use dry ice to keep the product temperature low and reduce spoilage while processing meat. Dry ice is an integral part of the industrial processing of ground meats and sausages. The baking industry use dry ice in mixing ingredients and retarding yeast growth. Because dry ice is bacteriostatic, food grade and residue free, it is perfect for use in the food processing industry.
INFLIGHT CATERING
The Airline industry use dry ice slices for in-flight catering, mostly on long haul flights. They place dry ice slabs in food trolleys and stores, to keep the foods chilled or frozen until ready for use. Especially relevant is that the food is stored according to strict Health & Safety guidelines and once the dry ice has sublimated only the dry ice packaging remains.
AGRICULTURAL
INDUSTRIAL CLEANING AND TECHNICAL PROCESSES
Industrial dry ice cleaning involves using 3mm dry ice pellets blasted at subsonic or supersonic speeds to remove surface contaminants.
The advantages of using Dry Ice cleanblasting for the customer are numerous; there is no secondary waste, it’s compact, completely portable, ideal for robotisation, has no electrical requirements, and is suitable for use on easily damaged surfaces. Because it’s non-toxic it’s also safer for the environment and safer for employees.
ENGINEERING, SHRINK FITTING & RUBBER MOULDING
Dry Ice will shrink metal to slide on sleeves, bushings or bearings. Adding dry ice to a 90% pure alcohol bath creates a cold liquid near -109.3°F which can be used like liquid nitrogen.
Tumbling rubber parts with dry ice will make them brittle as a result, allowing for easy flash removal. It is used in cold grinding of Plexiglas, PVC resins and vinyl’s.
Dry Ice can also be used to displace oxygen in tanks that may contain flammable liquids. As the dry sublimates it fills the the tank with carbon dioxide gas.
FROZEN EXPORTS AND DISTRIBUTION
Use dry ice for chilled or frozen distribution to eliminate the need for refrigerated transport. Polar Ice can provide you with calculations for appropriate dry ice quantities for the transport of products based on time in transit, ambient temperatures, required product temperatures and internal dimensions of the product container.
You can safely transport Dry Ice via any distribution method, so long as the use of Dry Ice is declared.
HOSPITALITY
Dry ice is widely used throughout the hospitality industry to create memorable visual experiences that elevate events and enhance presentation.
FOOD PRESENTATION
In restaurants, dry ice pellets are particularly effective for food presentation, as small, controlled quantities can be discreetly placed in serving trays to produce an elegant, low-lying fog that gently surrounds dishes without affecting the food itself.
For bars and events, ChilliSticks enable venues to create a dramatic fog effect in cocktails and beverages, offering a visually striking display while ensuring safe service.
WEDDINGS
At weddings and private celebrations, dry ice is often used to create a romantic floor-hugging mist for first dances or grand entrances.
Dry Ice has a temperature of –78.5°C meaning that when it is immersed in warm or hot water, it generates a dense cloud of pure water vapour fog that remains close to the ground, creating a magical ambience.
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Dry ice is also extensively employed in film, television, live music performances and theatre productions to produce atmospheric special effects, from eerie graveyard scenes and dream sequences to dramatic stage reveals and magical transformations.
Its versatility, visual impact and professional finish make dry ice an exceptional choice for venues seeking to create unforgettable experiences.
EDUCATION
Because dry ice sublimates directly from a solid to a gas, it helps students observe phase changes and gas behaviour. Dry ice is also used to create fog for studying density.
In addition, students develop important laboratory skills, including safe handling of materials and careful observation of physical changes.
Polar Ice offers educational discounts to schools purchasing dry ice. Ideal for school open days and for Science Week in November. If you’re working in the education sector, request your discount code by emailing sales@polarice.ie.
The aim of Science Week is to promote the relevance of science, technology, maths, and engineering in our everyday lives and to demonstrate their importance to the future development of Irish society and to the economy.
Whether you are organising an event in a school, library or college, there are plenty of resources to help you to get the most out of your event. Learn more about this year’s Science Week activities at scienceweek.ie.
BASIC JUNIOR CYCLE CONCEPTS USING DRY ICE
Dr Declan Kennedy & Sean Finn were invited to present the lecture demonstration Using Dry to teach Science at the ISTA conference held in Athlone Institute of Technology in March 2018.
Very positive feedback was received from the large attendance and they received many requests for copies of their Powerpoint presentation. (Click the Download button below for the PDF).
This article summarises the main experiments Dr Declan Kennedy & Sean Finn demonstrated and discusses their relevant to teaching aspects of the Junior Cycle science syllabus.
SPECIAL EFFECTS WITH DRY ICE
Ghostly Fog Effects
Searching for a way to make Halloween fun? We can help! Even if you’re not adventuring out, you can still make some magic at home. Create ghostly fog effects and spectacular dry ice cocktails with our Halloween Party Packs.
Dry Ice Haunted Halloween House
Hand crafted model buildings, 3D printed scenery and windows. Special FX created with dry ice and LED strip lights. (Created by MakePort, Makers Space, in the Portarlington Enterprise Centre, Co. Laois.)
Spooky Halloween Fog Effect
Create a dramatic and eerie Halloween fog effect by simply adding dry ice to heated water. The warmer the water, the more dramatic the fog effect.
Create a Smoking Pumpkin
- Place a small container of heated water inside your carved pumpkin.
- Add a few dry ice pellets into the container.
- The fog will flow out of the face of the pumpkin.
- Use a torch to add a light inside your pumpkin, as the dry ice fog will extinguish any candle flame.
Create a Witches’ Cauldron using Halloween dry ice fog
- Use a container that looks like a cauldron and is suitable for holding hot water.
- Fill two thirds of the container with hot water.
- When ready to create the fog effect, gradually add small pieces of dry ice to the container, dry ice pellets work best.
- When the water cools, replace it with hot water or reheat the water if possible.
Note: A ‘soup kettle’ commonly found in restaurants and bars has a thermostat that will keep the water hot. Using this as a container means that all you have to do is add pieces of dry ice to maintain the effect.
Image courtesy of Kenmare Halloween Howl.
Create a Spooky Graveyard
- To create a 15-minute period of fog put 2.3 to 4.5 kgs of Dry Ice into 15 to 30 litres of hot water. To create a more subtle atmospheric fog, use the smaller suggested amount of dry ice.
- The fog will flow down toward the ground and in the direction of any air movement. Use a small fan to help control the direction of the fog.
- Reheat or replace the water once the fog effect ceases and add more dry ice to your container.
- Create a coloured fog by adding LED lights under the fog. Right: A picture sent in from one of our most enthusiastic Halloween customers – their entire front garden converted into a spooky graveyard, complete with dry ice fog!
Create a Halloween Cake
To create the ultimate Halloween Cake, just add dry ice fog effect.
- Insert a small plastic container into the top of the cake
- Place some dry ice pellets (1/4 cup) in the plastic container
- Get the camera ready
- Add some hot water (1/4 cup) – the water will splash so don’t over fill the container.
Many thanks to Jenny’s Cupcakes for the photo of her masterpiece.
Visit Jenny’s Facebook page.
Marymount Hospice Halloween Spectacular
Polar Ice is proud to support Marymount Hospice & their annual Halloween display.
2025’s theme — Pirates of the Caribbean — brought adventure, atmosphere, and plenty of spooky fun to the event, with our dry ice helping to set the perfect eerie scene.
Following the celebrations, Francis McEveney from Marymount Hospice reached out to our sales team to share some incredible news: the event raised nearly €30,000 for the hospice.
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