Dry Ice Pelletizer

A: The raw material used to produce dry ice is high-purity liquid carbon dioxide (usually ≥99.9%).

A: The most commonly used storage equipment includes Dewar tanks and liquid CO₂ storage tanks. Dewar tanks are suitable for small-capacity storage and use (from several dozen to several hundred liters), with the most common capacity being 210 liters. Liquid CO₂ storage tanks are used for industrial-scale fixed storage, ranging from several cubic meters to over a hundred cubic meters in capacity. Liquid CO₂ can be transported using Dewar tanks or liquid CO₂ tank trailers.

A: The production of dry ice mainly utilizes the physical properties of carbon dioxide and can be divided into three main steps: First, collected carbon dioxide gas is pressurized and cooled to liquefy it into liquid CO₂, which is stored in high-pressure tanks. Next, when dry ice needs to be produced, a portion of the liquid CO₂ is released rapidly through a valve into an atmospheric-pressure environment. Due to the sudden pressure drop, the liquid CO₂ quickly evaporates (boils). During this process, evaporation absorbs a large amount of heat (latent heat of vaporization), causing the remaining liquid CO₂ to rapidly cool. When the temperature drops below -78.5°C, CO₂ solidifies directly into fine, snow-like particles—known as dry ice snow. Finally, the loose dry ice snow is collected and compressed in a hydraulic press to form various shapes such as blocks, pellets, or slices, which are the commercial dry ice products we see.

A: The theoretical conversion rate of liquid CO₂ to dry ice is about 45%. During production, approximately 55% of the liquid CO₂ turns into gaseous CO₂ due to rapid depressurization and is either vented or recovered. The remaining portion cools down and solidifies into dry ice snow, which is then compressed into shape. Our company’s high-efficiency dry ice pelletizer achieves an actual conversion rate of around 41%–43%.

A: Yes, absolutely. Our dry ice pelletizers are equipped with a standard 3mm extrusion die, which is also the most common size used for dry ice cleaning. By replacing the extrusion die, you can produce pellets of different sizes, such as 6mm, 9mm, etc.

A: During dry ice production, the pressure inside the Dewar tank or liquid CO₂ storage tank should be maintained between 1–2 MPa. If the pressure is below 1 MPa, it indicates that there is no liquid CO₂ remaining or that the liquid CO₂ has solidified due to improper storage—under such conditions, dry ice cannot be produced. If the pressure is above 2 MPa, it means there is an excessive amount of gaseous CO₂ in the tank. In this case, the exhaust valve should be opened to reduce the pressure to below 2 MPa before starting dry ice production.

A: It is common for the machine to produce loud noises during the initial stage of operation. This happens when the internal pressure exceeds the normal range, triggering the safety relief valve to release excess gas instantaneously, resulting in a loud sound. When this occurs, first check that the Dewar tank pressure is below 2 MPa. Then, adjust the working pressure valve on the machine to reduce the internal pressure of the forming chamber.

A: Check the pressure gauge on the Dewar tank. If you notice the pressure suddenly rising above 2 MPa (or higher) during operation and then quickly dropping below 1 MPa, it indicates that the liquid CO₂ in the tank has been used up.

A: A standard Dewar tank is equipped with pressurization, gas-phase, and liquid-phase valves on top. If the tank pressure is too high (above 2 MPa), open the gas-phase valve to release gas and lower the internal pressure. If the tank pressure is too low (below 1 MPa), open the pressurization valve to increase the pressure. Pressurization may take some time—if there is no noticeable pressure rise after about 30 minutes, it means the liquid CO₂ inside the tank has been depleted.

A: Dry ice can be stored in various types of containers, such as foam boxes, insulated dry ice containers, dry ice barrels, or ultra-low temperature freezers. Foam boxes provide the shortest storage time (about 1–2 days). Ultra-low temperature freezers can preserve dry ice for up to 15 days.You can choose a suitable storage option based on actual needs. Important notes: Do not store dry ice in a household refrigerator, as its extremely low temperature can damage the cooling system. Do not store dry ice in sealed