What is carbon dioxide gas?
Carbon dioxide is an inorganic compound composed of carbon and oxygen. It is a colorless and odorless gas at normal temperature and pressure. Molecular weight 44.01 g/mol, density 1.98 kg/m³ (1.5 times heavier than air). It can dissolve in water (usually 1 volume of water can dissolve about 1 volume of CO₂) to produce carbonic acid (H₂CO₃), which is why carbonated drinks have bubbles.
It can be liquefied into liquid carbon dioxide under low temperature and high pressure, and further cooling can solidify into a solid state, that is, dry ice (-78.5℃). Dry ice absorbs a lot of heat when it sublimates and is often used as a refrigerant or stage smoke effect.
Natural sources:
- Respiration of animals and plants (biological metabolism releases CO₂).
- Geological activities such as volcanic eruptions and hot springs.
- Decomposition of organic matter (such as decomposition of humus by microorganisms).
Human sources:
- Combustion of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) (industrial production, transportation,
power generation, etc.).
- Industrial processes (e.g. cement production, steel making).
- Land use change (e.g. deforestation reduces CO₂ absorption).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide
Core application areas of carbon dioxide
- Industry and manufacturing
Welding gas: CO2 gas shielded welding is a highly efficient welding method that uses CO2 gas as shielding gas and relies on the arc between the welding wire and the workpiece to melt the metal. This welding method has high production efficiency, low cost, and a wide range of applications. It is widely used in machinery manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, construction and other industries.
Food processing: carbonated beverages (4-5 vol CO₂), meat preservation (20% CO₂ gas packaging)
Metalworking: CO₂ can be used to harden films and cores during metal casting, as a power source for pneumatic devices, and for metal surface treatment. For example, supercritical CO₂ can be used as a solvent to remove oil and impurities during metal cleaning and degreasing.
Dry ice products: CO₂ gas is made into dry ice, i.e. solid carbon dioxide, under low temperature and high pressure. Dry ice can be used for refrigerated transportation, such as cold chain logistics of food and medicine; it can also be used for industrial cleaning, using the volume expansion and low temperature characteristics of dry ice when it sublimates to remove dirt and impurities on the surface of molds and equipment; in stage performances and film and television productions, dry ice can create special effects of clouds and mist
As a fire extinguishing agent (such as CO₂ fire extinguishers, suitable for fires in electrical appliances, books, etc.).
- Agriculture and energy
Greenhouse production increase: 800-1200 ppm CO₂ concentration increases photosynthetic efficiency by 40%
Oil recovery technology: oil field injection of CO₂ to improve recovery (EOR technology)
Dry ice cleaning: -78.5°C low-temperature injection (precision instrument decontamination)
Applying CO₂ in the greenhouse as “gas fertilizer” promotes plant photosynthesis and increases crop yields.
- Emerging technologies
Refrigerator: Transcritical CO₂ cycle (supermarket cold chain system)
Energy carrier: Methanol production through artificial photosynthesis
- Environmental protection and energy:
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology: Capture and store industrially emitted CO₂ to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
As chemical raw materials: used to produce urea, methanol, etc.
- CO₂ gas product line
Product Line Classification:
Grade | Purity standard | Packaging form | Typical application scenarios |
Industrial grade | ≥99.5% | 40L steel cylinder/tank truck | Welding protection, sewage treatment |
Food grade | ≥99.9% | Liquid storage tank/disposable gas cylinder | Beverage carbonation, food preservation |
Electronic grade | ≥99.999% | Special steel cylinder | Semiconductor cleaning, supercritical extraction |
Medical grade | USP/EP certification | 2L-10L Dewar tank | Laparoscopic surgery, respiratory stimulation therapy |
Market supply and demand
- Supply-side differences
Dimensions | Chinese market | International market (mainly Europe and the United States) |
Main sources | Petrochemical by-products (60%), coal chemical industry (30%), natural CO₂ gas fields (10%) | Natural gas fields (50%), industrial by-products (30%), biological fermentation (20%) |
Production capacity distribution | East China (Jiangsu and Shandong) accounts for 65% of the country | North America (Permian Basin, USA), Middle East (Qatar) are concentrated |
Purity standards | Food grade 99.5% (GB 1886.228-2016) | Food grade 99.9% (FDA 21 CFR 184.1240) |
- Comparison of consumption structure
Application fields | China’s share | International share | Difference analysis |
Food and beverage | 45% | 30% | China’s carbonated beverage production capacity ranks first in the world |
Welding protection | 25% | 15% | China’s manufacturing industry is intensive, and MAG welding is popular |
Oil and gas displacement | 5% | 25% | Europe and the United States have mature EOR technology |
Dry ice application | 10% | 12% | Higher demand for international pharmaceutical cold chain |
Carbon neutrality | <5% | 18% | EU CCUS projects have a high degree of commercialization |
Emerging growth points:
China: Demand for ultra-pure CO₂ for semiconductor cleaning increases by 40% annually
Europe and the United States: Procurement of CO₂, the raw material for synthetic fuels (e-fuels), surges
- Comparison of key indicators
Parameters | Chinese standard (GB) | International standard (ISO) | Difference impact |
Moisture content | ≤20 ppm | ≤10 ppm | Affects laser welding quality |
Sulfide | ≤1 ppm | ≤0.1 ppm | Limited applicability in the semiconductor industry |
Oil content | ≤5 mg/m³ | ≤1 mg/m³ | Food-grade products need to be purified for export |
- Pricing by purity level
Purity level | Chinese market (yuan/ton) | North American market (US dollars/ton) | EU market (Euros/ton) | Main application scenarios |
Industrial grade | 400-600 | 80-120 | 90-140 | Welding protection, sewage treatment |
Food grade | 800-1,200 | 150-200 | 170-230 | Carbonated beverages, food preservation |
Electronic grade | 2,500-3,500 | 500-700 | 550-750 | Semiconductor cleaning, supercritical extraction |
Pharmaceutical grade | 5,000+ | 1,000+ | 1,100+ | Vaccine cold chain, surgical anesthesia |
Environmental impact and governance
- Greenhouse effect mechanism
Radiative forcing: 1ppm CO₂ increment = 0.015 W/m² energy interception
Cumulative effect: Atmospheric CO₂ has increased by 50% since the Industrial Revolution (280→421 ppm)
- Emission reduction technology
Technology | Principle | Efficiency/cost |
Carbon capture | Amine solution absorption (coal-fired power plant) | $50-100/ton |
Geological storage | Injection into depleted oil fields (such as Norway’s Sleipner) | Annual storage of 1 million tons |
Biological carbon fixation | Microalgae farming (1 hectare = 100 tons/year) | $120/ton |
- Safety issues
Asphyxiation risk: >5% concentration causes headaches, >10% is fatal
Occupational exposure limit:
OSHA PEL: 5000 ppm (8-hour average)
China GBZ 2.1: 9000 mg/m³ (about 5000 ppm)
Professionally provide carbon dioxide gas
As an excellent supplier in the industry, if you have problems such as unstable supply during peak season, too high cost of protective gas, insufficient accuracy of photosynthetic gas replenishment, and difficulty in obtaining medical qualifications, you can contact us directly to provide you with solutions. We can provide you with regional reserve warehouse + JIT distribution system, CO₂/Ar mixed gas cost reduction plan, intelligent concentration control system, FDA/CE certification documents, etc., so that you can buy and use our industrial gases with confidence.
Regarding the cooperation model, we provide you with a long-term agreement plan, which is suitable for annual consumption > 100 tons. Small and medium-sized customers can choose zero-order purchases, and we can also provide carbon sink replacement for enterprises with emission reduction indicators, and use CCER to offset 50% of the payment.
Our carbon dioxide gas is produced in strict accordance with international and domestic industry standards. From raw material procurement to production and processing, and then to quality inspection, every link is controlled layer by layer. We use advanced purification technology to ensure that the purity of food-grade carbon dioxide gas is as high as 99.99%, which fully meets the strict safety standards of the food and beverage industry and protects the quality of your products; industrial-grade carbon dioxide gas has extremely low impurity content and stable performance, which can meet the high-precision requirements of various industrial production. In addition, we are equipped with a professional quality inspection team and advanced testing equipment to strictly test each batch of products to ensure zero defects in product quality, so that you can use it with more confidence.
Please contact us at any time to get a quote.
FAQ
- What purity levels of CO₂ do you provide?
We can provide industrial grade (≥99.5% welding, sewage treatment), food grade (≥99.9% beverage carbonation, food preservation), electronic grade (≥99.999% semiconductor cleaning, supercritical extraction), medical grade (compliant with USP/EP standards for surgery, respiratory therapy).
- What are the packaging forms of CO₂?
We have high-pressure cylinders, liquid storage tanks, dry ice and other forms. Please contact us for specific needs.
- What is the minimum order quantity?
Regular orders start with 1 cylinder of cylinder and 1 ton of liquid helium. Contact us for specific requirements.
- How to solve urgent needs?
Contracted customers enjoy 4-hour expedited delivery (core areas of East China/South China), and a 20% service fee will be added for temporary purchases.
- Can you provide carbon footprint proof?
Of course, each batch comes with a CCER carbon emission reduction certificate (applicable to carbon neutral enterprises) and a life cycle analysis report (LCA, in accordance with ISO 14040).
- How to detect CO₂ leakage?
You can use the soapy water smear method (observe bubbles with the naked eye), or an infrared CO₂ detector (range 0-5%, accuracy ±50ppm). We can provide equipment rental (¥200/day)