Applications

Carbon dioxide in solid and in liquid form is used for refrigeration and cooling. It is used as an inert gas in chemical processes, in the storage of carbon powder and in fire extinguishers.

Carbon dioxide is used in the manufacture of casting molds to enhance their hardness.

Carbon dioxide is used on a large scale as a shield gas in MIG/MAG welding, where the gas protects the weld puddle against oxidation by the surrounding air. A mixture of argon and carbon dioxide is commonly used today to achieve a higher welding rate and reduce the need for post weld treatment.

Dry ice pellets are used to replace sandblasting when removing paint from surfaces. It aids in reducing the cost of disposal and cleanup.

Large quantities are used as a raw material in the chemical process industry, especially for methanol and urea production.

Carbon dioxide is used in oil wells for oil extraction and to maintain pressure within a formation.. When CO2 is pumped into an oil well, it is partially dissolved into the oil, rendering it less viscous, allowing the oil to be extracted more easily from the bedrock. Considerably more oil can be extracted from through this process.

Flash is removed from rubber objects by tumbling them with crushed dry ice in a rotating drum.

Liquid or solid carbon dioxide is used for quick freezing, surface freezing, chilling and refrigeration in the transport of foods. In cryogenic tunnel and spiral freezers, high pressure liquid CO2 is injected through nozzles that convert it to a mixture of CO2 gas and dry ice "snow" that covers the surface of the food product. As it sublimates (goes directly from solid to gas states) refrigeration is transferred to the product.

• Carbon dioxide gas is used to carbonate soft drinks, and to prevent fungal and bacterial growth in fermented beverages.
• Liquid carbon dioxide is a good solvent for many organic compounds. It is used to decaffeinate coffee.
• It is used as an inert “blanket”, as a product-dispensing propellant and an extraction agent. It can also be used to displace air during canning.
• Supercritical CO2 extraction coupled with a fractional separation technique is used by producers of flavors and fragrances to separate and purify volatile flavor and fragrances concentrates.
• Cold sterilization can be carried out with a mixture of 90% carbon dioxide and 10% ethylene oxide. The carbon dioxide has a stabilizing effect on the ethylene oxide and reduces the risk of explosion.

Carbon dioxide is used as an additive to oxygen for medical use as a respiration stimulant

• Used as a propellant in aerosol cans, it replaces more environmentally troublesome alternatives.
• By using dry ice pellets to replace sandblasting when removing paint from surfaces, problems of residue disposal are greatly reduced.
• It is used to neutralize alkaline water.

Yields of plant products grown in greenhouses can increase by 20% by enriching the air inside the greenhouse with carbon dioxide. The target level for enrichment is typically a carbon dioxide concentration of 1000 PPM (parts per million) - or about two and a half times the level present in the atmosphere.