From Liquid CO₂ to Dry Ice Pellets

Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide at approximately −78.5°C under atmospheric conditions. Producing consistent, high-density pellets requires controlled conversion of liquid CO₂ into CO₂ snow followed by mechanical compression and extrusion.

The YTC Dry Ice Pelletizer integrates these stages into an automated production process:

Liquid CO₂ Supply → CO₂ Expansion → Dry Ice Snow Formation → Hydraulic Compression → Extrusion → Dry Ice Pellets

The process is controlled automatically to provide repeatable pellet formation and stable operation under the specified liquid CO₂ supply conditions.

How the Dry Ice Pelletizer Works

1. Liquid CO₂ Supply

Liquid CO₂ is supplied to the pelletizer from a suitable liquid CO₂ storage system.

Stable inlet conditions are important for maintaining reliable dry ice production. The required CO₂ supply pressure, temperature, piping, and connection arrangement are selected according to the pelletizer configuration and site conditions.

2. CO₂ Expansion and Snow Formation

Liquid CO₂ enters the snow-generation section, where controlled expansion causes part of the liquid CO₂ to convert into solid CO₂ snow while the remaining portion becomes gaseous CO₂.

The dry ice snow is collected inside the forming chamber for the subsequent compression process.

3. Hydraulic Compression

A powerful hydraulic system compresses the loose CO₂ snow into dense solid dry ice.

Controlled hydraulic pressure and pressing cycles help achieve consistent product density and reliable pellet formation.

4. Pellet Extrusion

The compressed dry ice is forced through a specially designed extrusion die, forming continuous strands of solid CO₂.

These strands break into dry ice pellets as they leave the extrusion section.

Different pellet diameters can be produced by selecting the appropriate extrusion die according to the intended application.

5. Automatic Production Control

The PLC control system coordinates the CO₂ supply, snow-generation process, hydraulic system, pressing cycle, and operating sequence.

Key operating parameters can be monitored continuously to support stable production and simplify routine operation.

Hydraulic Pressing System

The hydraulic system is at the heart of the dry ice pelletizing process.

After CO₂ snow is generated, sufficient and repeatable compression force is required to transform the loose snow into dense dry ice before extrusion.

The YTC hydraulic system is designed for continuous industrial operation and coordinated automatically with the CO₂ snow-generation and extrusion processes.

The integrated control system helps manage:

• Hydraulic pressure

• Pressing cycle

• Oil temperature

• CO₂ snow formation

• Production sequence

• Operating status

• Alarm conditions

This coordinated operation helps maintain consistent dry ice production while reducing the need for continuous manual adjustment.

Flexible Dry Ice Pellet Sizes

Different applications require different dry ice pellet sizes.

Fine pellets are commonly selected for applications requiring a larger surface area or controlled impact, while larger pellets are generally suitable for cooling, transportation, and temperature-control applications.

The YTC Dry Ice Pelletizer can be configured with different extrusion dies according to the required pellet diameter.

The available pellet sizes should be selected according to the specific machine configuration and intended application.

PLC Automatic Control

The pelletizer incorporates PLC-based automatic control to simplify operation and improve production consistency.

Once the required operating conditions are established, the control system manages the production sequence and monitors critical machine parameters.

Depending on the selected configuration, the control system can provide:

• Automatic start and stop sequence

• Production status monitoring

• Hydraulic system monitoring

• Oil-temperature monitoring

• CO₂ supply monitoring

• Alarm indication

• Production parameter setting

• Operating status display

The objective is to provide a production system that is straightforward for operators while maintaining stable and repeatable performance.

• Designed for Continuous Dry Ice Production

For industrial users, reliability and availability are as important as nominal production capacity.

The YTC Dry Ice Pelletizer is designed around a robust hydraulic forming process and automatic operating sequence to support continuous dry ice production.

Its compact configuration allows the machine to be installed close to the liquid CO₂ storage and downstream dry ice handling area, helping simplify the overall production layout.

Routine service points are arranged to support inspection and maintenance of the hydraulic, electrical, and CO₂ supply systems.

Why Produce Dry Ice On Site?

On-site dry ice production gives users greater control over product availability and freshness.

Fresh Dry Ice on Demand

Dry ice continuously sublimates during storage. Producing it close to the point of use reduces storage time and helps maximize the amount of usable dry ice available for the application.

Reduced External Supply Dependence

On-site production can reduce dependence on scheduled deliveries from external dry ice suppliers.

Lower Logistics Requirements

Producing dry ice where it is consumed can reduce transportation, handling, and storage requirements.

Flexible Production

Users can schedule dry ice production according to actual demand rather than maintaining unnecessarily large inventories.

Integration with Existing CO₂ Supply

Facilities with an existing liquid CO₂ storage system or CO₂ recovery plant can integrate dry ice production directly into their CO₂ supply infrastructure.

CO₂ Revert Gas Recovery

During dry ice production, only part of the liquid CO₂ becomes solid dry ice. A significant portion is released from the pelletizing process as gaseous CO₂, commonly referred to as CO₂ revert gas.

Instead of venting this gas, the YTC Dry Ice Pelletizer can be integrated with a CO₂ Revert Gas Recovery System.

A complete recovery loop can be configured as:

Liquid CO₂ Storage

↓

Dry Ice Pelletizer

↓

Dry Ice + CO₂ Revert Gas

↓

Revert Gas Collection

↓

CO₂ Compression

↓

CO₂ Reliquefaction

↓

Liquid CO₂ Storage

Recovering and reusing the revert gas can significantly improve overall CO₂ utilization and reduce fresh liquid CO₂ consumption.

The achievable recovery and utilization rate depends on the dry ice production conditions, recovery-system configuration, and operating parameters.

Applications

YTC Dry Ice Pelletizers can support dry ice production for a wide range of applications, including:

• Cold-chain transportation

• Food and beverage cooling

• Frozen food processing

• Pharmaceutical and biological logistics

• Industrial cooling

• Dry ice blasting

• Equipment and component cleaning

• Temperature-controlled transportation

• Laboratory and research applications

• Commercial dry ice production and distribution

Pellet size and production configuration should be selected according to the intended application.

Integration with YTC CO₂ Recovery Plants

For customers producing liquid CO₂ from fermentation, industrial gas, or other recoverable CO₂ sources, the Dry Ice Pelletizer can become part of a complete CO₂ utilization system.

A fully integrated YTC solution can include:

CO₂ Recovery

↓

Purification & Drying

↓

CO₂ Liquefaction

↓

Liquid CO₂ Storage

↓

Dry Ice Production

↓

CO₂ Revert Gas Recovery & Reliquefaction

This creates a closed-loop approach in which recovered CO₂ is purified and liquefied, converted into a commercially valuable dry ice product, and partially recovered again from the dry ice production process.

YTC Dry Ice Production Solution

YTC provides integrated solutions covering CO₂ recovery, purification, liquefaction, storage, dry ice production, and CO₂ revert gas recovery.

The Dry Ice Pelletizer can be supplied as standalone equipment or integrated with a complete YTC CO₂ recovery and utilization project.

For customers operating their own CO₂ recovery plants, YTC can engineer the connection between liquid CO₂ storage, dry ice production, revert gas collection, compression, and reliquefaction as one integrated process.

Each solution is developed according to the customer’s required dry ice capacity, pellet application, liquid CO₂ supply conditions, operating schedule, site layout, and CO₂ recovery requirements.

From recovered CO₂ to finished dry ice pellets, YTC provides an integrated solution designed to help customers produce dry ice reliably while making more efficient use of their liquid CO₂ supply.