Pressurised Gas

5/16/2008

CO₂ is often used as an inexpensive, nonflammable pressurized gas. Pressurized gases are used in applications such as:

• - quick-inflating life jackets often use canisters of pressured CO₂
• - for airguns, paintball guns, for inflating bicycle tires, and for making seltzer
• - inflating bicycle, motorcycle or automobile tires
• - blasting in coal mines can use rapid vaporization of liquid CO₂

Carbonated Beverages

5/16/2008

Traditionally, the carbonation in beer and sparkling wines comes from the natural fermentation process. In that process, yeasts act upon the sugar content to create ethanol (the alcohol content of the drinks) and CO₂ is created as a result of the process. As the pressure of the CO₂ gas builds up in the bottles, it is dissolved into the beer or wine - that is why these drinks do not produce bubbles until they are opened.

Some soft drink and beverage manufacturers carbonate their drinks by adding extra CO₂ during or after the manufacturing process. The CO₂ is added under pressure to produce the bubbles which appear when the container is opened.

Fire Extinguishers

5/16/2008

CO₂ does not burn, will not support ordinary combustion and does not conduct electricity. This makes it ideal for use in portable fire extinguishers.

The common CO₂ fire extinguisher uses a pressurized steel cylinder filled with liquid CO₂. When the CO₂ is released it expands very rapidly causing an extreme lowering of temperature. This dramatic decrease in temperature turns the liquid CO₂ into a fine powder which forms a blanket over the fire. The combination of the smothering powder and the dramatic lowering of the temperature combine to extinguish the flames.

Solvent

5/16/2008

Liquid CO₂ is a good solvent for many organic compounds, and is used to remove caffeine from coffee. CO₂ has begun to attract attention in the pharmaceutical and other chemical processing industries as a less toxic alternative to more traditional solvents such as organochlorides.