Captain Rex is shown here during the carbon freezing process.
Carbon-freezing was employed as a method for preserving stored tibanna gas by freezing it within carbonite for extended transportation purposes.
The process involved injecting the gas into a specialized freezing chamber. There, it was combined with molten carbonite, resulting in the creation of a solidified block. At the final destination or processing center, the gas would then be extracted.
Darth Vader gave instructions to modify a freezing chamber located in Cloud City on Bespin. His intention was to freeze Luke Skywalker, thereby preventing any possibility of escape, so he could be transported to the Emperor. Han Solo was used as a test subject for this procedure. He managed to survive due to a special device and was eventually rescued from his carbonite prison.
Others who were unwillingly frozen in carbonite include Trioculus, Antares Draco, Chihdo, Roni von Wasaki, Sintas Vel, Valin and Jysella Horn, Savage Opress, Grees, Mathal, and The Outlander. Czethros voluntarily froze himself in Carbonite, and Lorn Pavan was frozen by I-5YQ to survive an explosion; this survival technique proved successful. Numerous individuals were killed and subsequently encased in carbonite, including Groff Haugg, Keto, Mathal.
During the events of the Galactic Civil War, Silri, a Nightsister, discovered a significant number of Sith Troopers, and potentially a Sith Master, all frozen within carbonite. She was aided by a Sith holocron that Tyber Zann had stolen from Jabba the Hutt.
Furthermore, carbonite was sometimes used to preserve bodies, as seen in the Senatorial Tombs found on Coruscant.
Coming out of carbon-freezing could lead to hibernation sickness, as Han Solo experienced. The Alderaanian Medical Association determined that the inhalation of smoke from carbon-freezing posed a risk to one's health.