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Dry ice has long been a dependable cooling tool for cold-chain logistics, pharmaceuticals, and food processing. It’s clean, powerful, and easy to use—which is exactly why so many operations rely on it every day.
Yet anyone who works with dry ice also knows its biggest challenge: sublimation. The moment heat or airflow reaches it, the solid CO₂ begins to disappear, sometimes faster than expected during loading, staging, or transit.
You’re not alone if you’ve wondered why dry ice lasts longer in some setups and melts away in others. The answer isn’t only about how much dry ice you add; it’s about how it’s stored, how air moves around it, and whether the container is built to slow heat transfer. In this guide, we’ll walk through the factors that truly affect sublimation and the practical ways you can extend cooling time with less waste.
Why Does Dry Ice Sublimate?
Dry ice turns directly into carbon dioxide gas because it is solid CO₂ that cannot exist as a liquid under normal atmospheric pressure. Unlike water ice, it never melts into a liquid phase; it shifts straight from solid to gas, which is why you often see white vapor during handling. Several factors drive this rapid phase change:
- It cannot form a liquid state. Solid CO₂ skips the liquid phase entirely, so any heat applied pushes it straight into gas.
- Sublimation Temperature(Melting Point) of Dry Ice: Temperatures above −78.5°C trigger heat absorption. Even slight warmth breaks down the solid structure and accelerates the transition into gas.
- Its surface absorbs heat quickly. The exposed surface area allows constant energy exchange with the environment.
- Poor insulation speeds up heat transfer. In open areas or weak containers, nothing slows the heat entering the solid CO₂, causing it to disappear even faster.
Rate of Sublimation of Dry Ice
The actual sublimation rate depends entirely on how your dry ice is stored and the conditions it faces during transport.
From my experience in cold-chain operations, the sublimation rate you see on paper rarely matches what happens onsite. CISA’s guidance is a good example: they note that dry ice can drop 5 to 10 pounds in 24 hours once it’s sitting in an active handling environment. And honestly, that lines up with what many teams observe during loading, staging, or transport.
In more stable setups—where heat exposure is controlled and airflow is limited—you’ll see a different pattern. Most dry ice manufacturers describe a 3% to 8% daily loss under those conditions. That percentage isn’t unrealistic; it just reflects an insulated container doing its job and a temperature profile that doesn’t constantly challenge the dry ice.
Once dry ice is placed outside of controlled setups, sublimation accelerates quickly. Several factors contribute to this faster loss, and you will notice the impact immediately when any of the following occur:
- High ambient temperatures, which drive heat directly into the dry ice surface.
- Strong airflow, such as fans or vehicle ventilation, which increases heat exchange.
- Weak insulation, where container walls allow heat to pass through easily.
- Small dry ice formats, like pellets or rice-sized pieces, which expose far more surface area than blocks.
So when you look at sublimation rates, the real question becomes very practical: what kind of environment is your dry ice actually sitting in, and is the container helping you slow the loss—or making it worse?
And once you start thinking along those lines, the next logical step is to look at how to extend cooling time by improving the way the dry ice is stored.
Tips to Reduce Dry Ice Sublimation
When you want to slow sublimation in real operations, the small handling habits often make the biggest difference. These practical tips apply whether you are storing dry ice in a cold room, a staging area, or a transport unit.
When you want to slow sublimation in real operations, the small handling habits often make the biggest difference. These practical tips apply whether you are storing dry ice in a cold room, a staging area, or a transport unit.
1. Keep the dry ice packed tightly
Dry ice lasts longer when the exposed surface area is reduced. Stacking the blocks together or securing them so the sides face inward helps minimize how much CO₂ surface is in direct contact with warm air.
2. Avoid breaking the blocks unless necessary
Large, intact blocks sublimate more slowly than pellets or fragments. If you must split a block, wrap the cut surface immediately with plastic film so the fresh surface doesn’t sit exposed and absorb heat too quickly.
3. Add a “buffer layer” inside the container
Even if you already use a double-wall insulated box, adding simple insulating fillers—such as newspaper, bubble wrap, or EPE foam—around the dry ice creates extra resistance to heat flow. Avoid cloth materials; they are too breathable and let warm air reach the dry ice faster.
4. Pre-cool the container before loading
A room-temperature container wall releases heat into the dry ice during the first few hours. Pre-cooling removes this initial heat load and helps stabilize the internal temperature much faster.
5. Limit lid openings as much as possible
Room temperature is already 78.5°C warmer than the sublimation point of dry ice. Every time the lid opens, cold air escapes and warm air replaces it. Fewer lid openings mean more stable internal temperature and longer holding time.
6. Keep the container away from external heat sources
Warm floors, sunlight, or machinery surfaces all increase heat transfer through the container walls. Placing the container on raised pallets or in shaded areas reduces unnecessary heat gain.
7. Use a purpose-built insulated dry ice container
If your operation relies on predictable cooling time, consider insulated containers with at least 55 mm wall insulation, a sealed lid design, and a rigid double-layer structure. These features control heat transfer far better than regular coolers and help maintain stable sublimation rates during transport or long storage windows.
So all of these tips point back to the same engineering reality: dry ice only lasts when we restrict the heat and moving air that reach it. And the most reliable way to do that is with a container specifically engineered for low temperatures and minimal air exchange.
Insulated Cooler for Dry Ice — Why Professional Containers Make a Difference
A dry-ice-ready container solves the sublimation problem through structure—not by adding more cooling material. Thick LLDPE or HDPE walls keep the box stable under extreme cold, while the PU-filled cavity slows the heat trying to pass through the shell. A sealed lid limits air convection, preventing warm air from replacing the cold air inside. When rigid walls, dense insulation, and a tight sealing system work together, the dry ice sits in a controlled environment where heat intrusion stays low and cooling time becomes far more predictable.
Because these design requirements are essential for predictable sublimation control, many cold-chain, pharmaceutical, and food-processing operations eventually standardize on professional insulated dry ice containers rather than modifying general-purpose coolers. Once your teams switch to a unit built for low-temperature logistics, you will typically see:
- longer dry ice duration under the same load
- more stable temperatures during long-distance transport
- fewer top-ups during staging or loading windows
- lower consumption costs across repeated shipments
- reduced heat gain from vibration-related deformation, because the rigid reinforced shell keeps the lid securely sealed even during forklift handling or long road routes
Extend Your Cooling Time with the Right Partner in Industrial Packaging
By now, you’ve seen how sublimation is shaped not only by physics but also by the choices you make—where you store dry ice, how you handle airflow, and especially the performance of the container protecting it. This knowledge gives you more control, fewer surprises, and a clearer path to lowering operational waste. And when the stakes involve cold-chain shipments, pharmaceutical stability, or high-volume food processing, having equipment you can trust is no longer optional—it becomes a daily advantage.
That’s why specialized insulated containers exist, and why manufacturers with true engineering capacity—not general traders—make a real difference in your results.
Enlightening Pallet builds dry ice containers with a manufacturing mindset refined over decades in industrial plastics. Our PE Dry Ice Container with double-wall structures, PU-filled insulation, sealed latches, and low-temperature-resistant materials are not features for show—they are solutions designed to keep sublimation under control, extend cooling duration, and reduce your replenishment cycles during long-distance transport and warehouse handling.
If your next step is to stabilize your dry ice performance, reduce waste, or source a consistent supplier, talk to us.
Request a quote, compare your current loss rate, or ask for a recommendation based on your application scenario—we will help you choose the right model for your temperature, route, loading pattern, and budget.
We provide:
- Wholesale pricing and factory-direct supply
- Custom colors, branding, and OEM options
- Fast delivery for bulk orders
- Stable production from an experienced China manufacturer
- A more predictable cooling workflow starts with the right container.
Connect with our team today and make your dry ice last longer—every time.
