How to store Dry Ice to extend its shelf life

You cannot store Dry Ice as it is -78 degrees, therefore it will disappear even if stored in a freezer. You need to obtain it or have it delivered close to the time it will be used.

Do NOT store Dry Ice in your freezer! It is much colder than a home freezer and will cause the thermostat of the freezer to shut the freezer down or damage it. (But it will keep things frozen if your refrigerator breaks down in an emergency.)

The only way of storing it effectively is by use of an insulated container with a lid – you should also pack any remaining space in the container with crumpled newspaper in order to decrease the oxygen content. Basically you are trying to ‘suffocate’ the Dry Ice in order to keep it in a solid form for as long as possible. You would still lose in excess of 50% over a 24 hours period.

Dry Ice must be stored and handled properly to extend its shelf life. Store Dry Ice in a cooler – proper storage of Dry Ice is to place it in an insulated cooler with the lid loosely closed. Styrofoam containers work the best! Make sure the lid is loose and do NOT use an airtight container, like we recommend for food, because the build up of carbon dioxide gases as the sublimation of Dry Ice to Carbon Dioxide gas will cause any airtight container to expand until a hole opens or it explodes.

Repeat: do NOT store Dry Ice in a completely airtight container. The cooler or ice chest should then be kept in the coolest area possible which is also a well-ventilated area. A nice shady spot outside works great.

Here is an interesting link on how to store Dry Ice: https://www.wikihow.com/Store-Dry-Ice

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