Dry Ice History: From Discovery to Modern Marvel
Early 19th Century – The Scientific Discovery In 1835, French chemist Adrien-Jean-Pierre Thilorier became the first to record solid carbon dioxide—now known as dry ice. While experimenting with liquid CO₂ in a metal cylinder under high pressure, he opened it to observe the liquid form. Rapid evaporation left a solid block of dry ice at the bottom.
Early 1800s chemists struggled to contain liquefied gases, as glass vessels shattered under pressure. Metal chambers held CO₂ at about 63 times atmospheric pressure but obscured the view. Thilorier’s larger volume allowed brief observation before it boiled away. For the next 60 years, solid CO₂ remained a lab curiosity with no practical uses. Even today, opening a CO₂ fire extinguisher produces a similar “snow” of dry ice powder.
Late 19th Century – First Patent and Limited Uses. In 1897, British Army doctor Herbert Samuel Elworthy received an English patent for solidifying carbon dioxide—to make lightweight soda water for whisky on excursions. Heavy metal cylinders limited portability, but dry ice sublimated too quickly to be practical. A few doctors later used it to freeze off warts, but commercial adoption was minimal.
1920s – Commercial Breakthrough in the United States. The first U.S. commercial production began in 1925 by Prest Air Devices (founded 1923 in Long Island City, New York). Inventor Thomas Benton Slate demonstrated solid dry ice, while the company pioneered the CO₂ fire extinguisher and tested other uses (tire pumps, grease guns, home soda makers). Only the extinguisher succeeded initially.
In 1924, George C. Cusack and A. J. Whaley pitched dry ice to railroads as a superior alternative to water ice (twice the cooling power, no mess). Investor August Heckscher funded a production plant. Slate departed in 1925 to pursue dirigibles; the company reincorporated as DryIce Corporation of America, trademarking “DryIce.” A patent attempt was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Early railroad tests succeeded, with 12 insulated cars using dry ice by 1932—but mechanical refrigeration (and existing water ice infrastructure) dominated. Some cars used water ice as late as 2004 for certain shipments.
Ice Cream Revolution and Growth. DryIce Corporation’s first paying customer in 1926 was Schrafft’s Stores, using dry ice to keep Eskimo Pie ice cream frozen for home consumption—replacing corrosive, heavy brine ice. By 1927, brands like Breyers adopted it.
A 1929 partnership with Liquid Carbonic planned 17 U.S. plants (including Los Angeles), but they split and became competitors. Birdseye Frozen Foods used dry ice from 1931. By 1932, with several manufacturers, U.S. production reached about 120 million pounds annually.
Modern Era In 2021, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine rollout highlighted dry ice again. It required ultra-cold storage around −94°F (−70°C) during transport and temporary holding, often in dry ice-packed thermal shippers (or ULT freezers at −130°F to −76°F / −90°C to −60°C).
Today, thousands of producers worldwide supply dry ice for public sale, food/medical shipping, events (e.g., fog effects), and show use (e.g., Disneyland).
