Does Dry Ice Dissolve in Water?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the solubility of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) in water, exploring the conditions and implications of this interaction. Participants examine the factors affecting solubility, potential applications, and safety considerations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the solubility of dry ice in water, seeking clarification on the topic.
  • Another participant argues that while everything is soluble to some extent, the solubility of carbon dioxide in water is influenced by temperature, pressure, pH, and impurities.
  • A different viewpoint states that dry ice will release carbon dioxide gas when placed in water, but some of it will dissolve, resulting in carbonated water.
  • Concerns are raised about the safety of using dry ice for making sparkling water due to potential contamination from compressor oils, suggesting that food-grade CO2 is a better option for carbonation.
  • Additional information is provided about carbonation techniques used by homebrewers, including the use of corn sugar and the process of krausening, which introduces variables that can affect the final product.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying views on the solubility of dry ice in water, with some agreeing that it does dissolve to an extent while others emphasize the conditions that affect this process. There is no consensus on the safety of using dry ice for carbonation.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the complexity of solubility, noting that factors such as temperature, pressure, and impurities can significantly influence outcomes. There are also unresolved concerns regarding the safety of using dry ice in food and beverage applications.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring carbonation methods, homebrewers, and those curious about the chemical interactions of carbon dioxide with water.

prat
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is solid carbon dioxide(dry ice) soluble in water
 
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Everything is soluble in everything, the question becomes how soluble? Solubility of carbon dioxide depends on temperature (dry ice is cold), partial pressure of CO2 in the air above, pH, metal impurities etc.

You may want to do some googling or literature searches. Dissolved carbon dioxide is found as carbonic acid/carbonates in water which are not the most soluble compounds but do dissolve to an extent varying with factors such as those stated above.
 
Carbon dioxide is soluble in water. Although much of the carbon dioxide will escape as a gas when you put dry ice into water, some of the carbon dioxide will dissolve in the water and make the water carbonated.
 
If your intention is to make sparkling water to drink, don't do it as the Dry Ice is generally contaminated by compressor oils at a few ppm. Food grade CO2 for making sodas is specially refined to be palatable.

Homebrewers have used a technique for carbonation at bottling that uses an addition of corn sugar calculated to add 1-2 volumes of CO2 to the stillbeer. More advanced brewers use fresh sterile wort calculated to do the same thing in a process called krausening. Popped bottles are a sign that some microbial contamination creates enzymatically excess fermentable sugars from the unfermented carbohydrates left in the "still" beer.
Obviously this is not controllable to make a sweet soda,and small amounts of alcohol are the byproduct of the carbonation.
 

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