Recently, many people have been sharing a WeChat post titled "Never Store This 'Bomb' in Your Freezer." The post claims that a boy took a can of chilled cola from the freezer, and it exploded the moment he opened it. The pull-tab cut deep into his face, penetrating his cheek. He required 31 external stitches and 7 internal stitches.
Cola is a caffeinated carbonated beverage. When consumed, the carbonation dioxide gasifies as the temperature rises, creating a tingling sensation that draws heat away from the body, making people feel refreshed and cool. As the weather gradually gets hotter, carbonated drinks like cola are becoming increasingly popular among the public.
The explosion of a cola beverage is caused by the expansion of the liquid during the freezing process, which deforms and breaks the sealed can or glass bottle, leading to a sudden explosion. There are two main reasons for this. First, liquids and solids have different thermal effects; solids expand when heated and contract when cooled, while liquids do the opposite. When a liquid beverage's temperature drops below zero degrees, it freezes into a solid, and its volume increases. Second, carbonated beverages contain carbon dioxide, whose solubility in ice is much lower than in liquid. Therefore, when a carbonated drink is frozen, a large amount of the originally dissolved carbon dioxide is released first, further increasing the volume of the drink. Since the container has a fixed volume and is sealed, the internal pressure becomes very high. After the volume of the can or glass bottle changes, it can deform or even burst the sealed container. The deformed container itself becomes very fragile. If opened at this point, it can explode the moment it is opened. The force of the explosion is great and the speed is fast. The fragments, such as the bottle cap, can easily strike the head, face, chest, or abdomen, causing significant harm. Therefore, it is credible that carbonated beverages become "bombs" after being frozen.
For the sake of life safety and health, please pay attention to the following: First, most carbonated beverages have a warning on their packaging that says "Do not heat or freeze below zero degrees, and avoid direct sunlight and high-temperature storage." This should be followed to prevent injury. In particular, after taking a cola out of the freezer, it is not advisable to open and drink it immediately. Let it sit for a while before drinking. Second, it is best to store carbonated drinks in the refrigerator at a temperature of about 4°C in the chiller. Third, the sugars and artificial sweeteners in carbonated drinks can affect the normal secretion of digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, reduce the absorption capacity of the small intestine, and decrease appetite. Drinking too many carbonated drinks, especially for teenagers, can lead to cavities. The phosphoric acid in carbonated beverages affects the body's absorption of calcium, leading to nutrient loss. For your own health, it is advisable to drink fewer carbonated beverages and replace them with fresh fruit juice, sugarcane juice, etc.