What Are the Industrial Uses of Carbon Dioxide?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is mainly used in food and beverage production, manufacturing, and healthcare. 

This guide discusses the key applications of carbon dioxide in more detail. 

You’ll learn how it can benefit your operations, whether you’re involved in welding, trying to extend the shelf life of food and drink products, or flash-freezing biological samples, to name a few applications.

Food and Beverage: The Fizz Factor and Beyond

The food and beverage industry is among the biggest users of carbon dioxide, and it’s where you’ve likely encountered the gas many times. Whenever you have a sparkling drink, you’re tasting CO2 in action.

In carbonated drinks, the dissolved CO2 also helps extend shelf life by creating an acidic environment that slows microbial growth.

Interestingly, the fizz you feel is actually thousands of tiny CO2 bubbles bursting on your tongue, which is why carbonated drinks have that distinctive ‘bite’ sensation.

CO2 also plays a crucial role in food packaging and preservation. It creates an inert environment that prevents bacterial growth and helps maintain product freshness. 

Common foods preserved with CO2 include fruits, vegetables, meats, and snacks.

Besides the gas form, food manufacturers often use CO2 in its solid form (dry ice) for freezing and transportation. This method is highly effective because dry ice transitions directly from a solid to a gas, leaving no liquid residue that could contaminate products.

Manufacturing: Protection and Precision

There are manufacturing uses of carbon dioxide that help create better, stronger products. 

A perfect example is welding processes, where CO2 acts as a shielding gas to protect and strengthen welds.

When mixed with argon, it creates the perfect environment for MIG/MAG welding. This mixture protects the weld puddle from oxidation and helps achieve higher welding rates. In practical terms, this means faster production times and better-quality welds.

Beyond welding, CO2 is also commonly used in other metalworking processes, especially for ferrous metals like steel and cast iron. It helps harden casting molds and provides anti-corrosive properties that extend the life of finished products.

Medical and Laboratory Applications: Life-Saving Carbon Dioxide Uses

Besides carbon dioxide uses in industry, this gas also plays an important role in healthcare settings. You’ll often see it in:

• Respiratory support: when combined with medical-grade oxygen, carbon dioxide helps stimulate breathing in patients with respiratory issues.
• Diagnostic applications: special CO2 mixtures help doctors assess lung function in patients with respiratory conditions like COPD.
• Laboratory applications: laboratories use CO2 for flash freezing biological samples (often using dry ice, the solid form of CO2) and for maintaining optimal conditions in cell culture incubators – where CO2 helps regulate pH levels.

Does CO2 Have Environmentally Friendly Applications?

CO2 has a number of environmentally friendly applications including: 

• Control pH levels: CO2 is used in water treatment facilities to control pH levels – it is more environmentally friendly than traditional chemicals like sodium hydroxide. 
• Cleaning: carbon dioxide powers dry ice blasting, which offers a non-toxic way to clean industrial equipment and remove contaminants. This method leaves no secondary waste.
• Oil recovery: the petroleum industry uses CO2 for enhanced oil recovery, which can improve efficiency and reduce waste. In some cases, CO2 is stored underground, contributing to carbon sequestration efforts – its overall climate impact depends on how much CO2 is permanently stored versus how much new fossil fuel is produced.

So, even though carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, it can serve as a “cleaner” alternative to more harmful chemicals and processes.

Further Reading: How to Store CO2