Processing Parts Down to -450^oF

Many of our competitors talk about "Deep Cryogenic Processing" at -300^oF.  We don' consider -300^oF deep, because the Cryogenic Society of America defines cryogenics as temperatures below -244^oF.  (120^oK).  The reason -300^oF (89^ok) is so prevalent as a temperature is because it is fairly easy to reach with the use of liquid nitrogen, and liquid nitrogen is fairly inexpensive. We've often wondered what would happen a lower temperatures. We have recently found out while experimenting with liquid helium, which boils at -452^oF (4^ok).  We've found some interesting things happening with stereo and sound reproduction. And we are looking at other applications.

Working with Liquid Helium is more complicated than working with liquid nitrogen, and liquid helium is expensive. Storage and transfer of it in a liquid state are problems that we needed to solve. We are now applying this knowledge to the treatment of sensitive aerospace components and new experimental materials. Liquid helium processing is now being used to:

 

	Meet dramatic thermal cycling requirements
	Relieve residual stresses
	Achieve failure testing and evaluation
	Precondition materials

 

 

We cannot tell you all the things we are doing with helium. Many of our customers ask for and receive confidentiality agreements. We can tell you this is an exciting new field that we believe will push the science of cryogenic processing to new heights.    We can tell you that the use on stereo components creates even more dramatic improvements than the -300^oF cryo treatments.