Can the Rapid Depressurization of a Soda Can Cause Significant Cooling?

[hua_mei65]

So, i just opened a soda can that hadn't been refrigerated and upon drinking it, the soda felt much colder than i would have expected from where it was stored. i realize that the cans are pressurized from the CO2 and that on opening they lose this pressure. to my understanding the when a pressure vessel such as this one is rapidly depressurized cooling occurs. is the pressure that the soda can holds enough to significantly change the temperature upon opening? It does not seem likely that the thermal mass of the soda itself could be changed to a significant extent by the pressure alone. I haven't measured the temperature of the soda (in fact its gone now) but does this seem to be a reasonable explanation for why it feels cold?

 

[Bob S]

If you have ever used a CO₂ fire extinguisher, the pressurized liquid CO₂ in the extinguisher (about 70 atm) comes out as solid dry ice, -79 deg C). This is called the Joule-Thomson effect. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joule–Thomson_effect

 

[hua_mei65]

I've played paintball, and a similar thing happens with the CO₂ tank on the gun, but in both of these cases the pressure contained is much much greater than anything a can of soda could contain. Can the CO₂ in the soda can expand quickly enough when the can is opened to cause significant cooling. Because of the carbonation left in the drink after it has been opened, i wouldn't think that it expands quickly enough or to actually cause any cooling.