What it is used for
Snap-freezing samples
Tissue, cells and extracts are frozen quickly on crushed dry ice before going into long-term storage.
Carrying samples from the field
Samples collected at a field site, a farm or a district hospital stay frozen in a dry ice box until they reach the lab.
Cooling baths and cold traps
Dry ice in a suitable solvent makes a bath close to −78 °C for chemistry and vacuum work.
Freezer failure
When a −20 or −80 freezer goes down, dry ice on top of the racks protects years of samples while it is repaired.
- Price
- ₹110 per kg plus GST
- Minimum order
- 10 kg
- Bulk orders
- Up to 30% off
How to do it
Break a block inside a cloth bag with a mallet, wearing gloves and eye protection, to get pieces that fit your box.
Seal tubes well. Carbon dioxide gas can get into loosely capped tubes and change the pH of a sample.
Carry it in a vented insulated box, never in a screw-top flask or a sealed cool box.
Work in a ventilated room. In a small cold room or a closed vehicle the gas builds up quickly.
How much to order
For bench work, most labs find 10 kg covers one to two days of use from a thermocol box. For a freezer breakdown, start with 10–15 kg per chest freezer and top up daily.
Before you use itSolvents used in dry ice baths are flammable. Follow your institute's safety procedure, and never store dry ice in a walk-in cold room where people work.
Questions from this trade
You sell blocks. Can I get small pieces?
Blocks break easily. Wrap one in a cloth and strike it with a mallet to get pieces or a coarse powder for tube racks.
Can dry ice be kept in the −80 freezer?
It will last longer there, but it still turns to gas and the gas must be able to escape. Do not keep it in any sealed container.
Can you deliver to a campus outside Guwahati?
We dispatch by road across Assam and the Northeast. Tell us the place and date and we will confirm how and when it can reach you.
Tell us the kilos, the place and the date.
Dry ice blocks at ₹110 per kg plus GST. Minimum 10 kg. Up to 30% off on bulk orders.