Dry ice is solid CO2, i.e. carbon dioxide or carbonic acid in a solid state of aggregation. Under normal conditions, dry ice always has a temperature of -78.5 °C. The term „dry“ refers to the ability to evaporate directly, i.e. to sublimate without becoming liquid or melting. The cooling capacity of dry ice when heated from -78.5 °C to 0 °C is approx. 640 kJ/kg. This corresponds to about 3 times the cooling capacity of conventional ice. The most important advantage, however, is that nothing remains after evaporation, which is not the case with water ice. When heat is added, for example by a rapid impact on a surface, the dry ice immediately changes to a gaseous state. Consequently, no liquid remains that could lead to renewed contamination of the surface. Dry ice is odourless and tasteless, bacteriostatic, non-toxic, non-flammable and inert.
