QC#45 – Melting Dry Ice (Do Not Attempt!)

Real Danger Warning: This video is for demonstrational purposes only, and should not be replicated.

Liquid Carbon Dioxide cannot exist on earth, unless it’s put under pressure.

When Dry Ice is put under pressure about 5 times that of earth’s atmosphere, CO2 is able to liquify. But release the pressure, and the liquid disappears!

See the full project video: http://bit.ly/DryIceStunts

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Music By:
Music by Jason Shaw (RP-Clattertrap)
http://www.audionautix.com

Project Inspired By:

CSChemistry video, “Formation of Liquid Carbon Dioxide” http://bit.ly/IBLiquidCO2 If you check it out, tell them that Grant Thompson sent you.

WARNING: This project should not be replicated. Dry Ice should never be placed in a sealed container because of the explosion hazard it poses, which may have legal ramifications. Dry Ice is extremely cold! (-78C/-109F) and can cause instant frost-bite to exposed skin. Read all warning labels and be aware of all risks. Misuse, or careless use, may result in serious injury. Use of this video content is at your own risk.

Project History & More Info:

Before attempting this demonstration, I studied phase diagrams and became familiar with the types of pressures CO2 would generate at different temperatures. In some cases, they can be well over 1,000 PSI! I consulted with Ben Krasnow about possible risks, and preformed the demonstration in a controlled environment with safety precautions in place, and stood in a protective building. The only risk of damage was to my camera, which I left as close as comfortable to the demonstration.

I’ve seen demonstrations where Ben Krasnow of “Applied Science” took CO2 supercritical in a special container he made; http://bit.ly/IBSupercriticalCO2, but when I saw a demonstration where a class used a soda bottle preform, I wondered if that could really work, or if it would eventually explode as well.

This experiment was to test the viability of demonstrating liquid CO2 in a soda preform, which as you can see, works for a time, but eventually will explode.

I try to stay away from saying things like, “Don’t try this at home”, but for this experiment I’m afraid I have to. Mainly because this experiment probably isn’t legal for you to replicate at home. Along with that, if a container were to accidentally pressurize and explode in your hand, who knows what kind of damage that could do to you. ..or the person standing next to you.

Liquid carbon dioxide is not something we get to see. It exists in containers like CO2 fire extinguishers, but the pressures are so intense they require thick steel to hold them in.

So even though I strongly advise you don’t replicate this experiment, if you do it anyway, please be aware there is a likely risk of your container exploding.