Carbon Dioxide in its solid form of dry ice usually has a white opaque appearance. Through a process known as sublimation, it will change directly to vapor leaving no liquid residue or clean up. The sublimation temperature for dry ice is minus 109.3° F.

Dry ice is made by allowing liquid CO₂ to expand to atmospheric pressure through a nozzle into a chamber. A portion of the constricted liquid vaporizes and cools the remaining liquid CO₂ to form fine solid dry ice particles which are compressed into solid dry ice blocks weighing approximately 50-60 pounds. These large blocks are often sliced or crushed into many commercially available shapes and sizes.

An alternate method is to expand liquid carbon dioxide into a chamber to form dry ice snow, which is then compressed and extruded through a perforated plate to form nuggets or pellets. There are several size pellets available.

Dry ice is used in poultry, red meat and sausage plants to retard heat build-up, bacteria and salmonella growth as well as to prevent water weight loss during shipment.

In the bakery industry it is used to mix ingredients, eliminate moisture and to keep yeast from working until the appropriate time.

Dry ice is used in a number of commercial applications including airline catering, the manufacture of golf balls and fire extinguishers, flash freezing in the rubber industry, absorbing ammonia refrigeration leaks and creating fog for the entertainment industry. It is extensively used in the manufacturing of plastics, chemicals, beverages, pharmaceuticals, metals and many other products. Dry ice is also important to mining, construction, and a variety of laboratory and medical applications. One of the newest applications for dry ice is Dry Ice Blasting.