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Frozen Coke and Extrusion
Name: Steve D.
Status: educator
Age: 40s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Thursday, November 28, 2002
Question:
Why does a frozen Coke extrude from the container once it is opened?
Replies:
Several things are happening here: 1. The CO2 that is dissolved in the
liquid Coke is insoluble in the ice crystals, so the pressure of CO2 is
considerably higher than the pressure at higher temperatures where the Coke
is not frozen. 2. When you "pop" the cap, the CO2 expands. This expansion
does two things. First, it further reduces the temperature as the result of
the expansion of the gaseous CO2 and second, bubbles of CO2 trapped between
ice crystals expand rapidly because their pressure is much higher than
atmospheric pressure. This expansion "pushes" the ice crystals and any
liquid present out of the throat of the bottle, resulting in the
"extrusion".
Vince Calder
I do not think I have seen this phenomenon, but I am willing to take a guess.
Water expands when it freezes, and so there is a greater pressure inside the
can. When the can is opened, the coke comes out.
Pat Rowe
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Update: February 2012
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