Liquid carbon dioxide

Liquid carbon dioxide is the liquid form of carbon dioxide (CO
2). At normal atmospheric pressure, carbon dioxide can only exist as a gas or solid, and is ordinarily found as a trace gas in Earth's atmosphere. Its liquid state can exist at pressures above 5.1 atm (5.2 bar; 75 psi), between the temperatures of its triple point, −56.6 °C (−69.9 °F) and its critical point, 31.1 °C (88.0 °F). Solid CO
2, known as dry ice, occurs at low temperatures, and has commercial applications. Dry ice sublimes above −78.5 °C (−109.3 °F) at atmospheric pressure—that is, it transitions directly from solid to gas without an intermediate liquid stage. The uses and applications of liquid carbon dioxide include extracting virgin olive oil from olive paste, in fire extinguishers, and as a coolant. With supercritical carbon dioxide, liquid carbon dioxide is used for decaffeinating coffee.

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