ASM International, the Materials Information Society, acknowledges cryogenic processing as a valuable heat treating process – and one that is distinctly different from “cold” treatments (-120 degrees Fahrenheit). Cryogenic temperatures are those below - 244 degrees Fahrenheit.

A typical cryogenic cycle includes slowly lowering the temperature, holding at -300 degrees Fahrenheit and then slowly returning to room temperature. In many instances, a short heat tempering cycle is used to complete the process. The cryogenic process can take up to seventy hours to complete, depending on the composition and amount of the material being treated.

Cryogenic treatment: 1) converts retained austenite to martensite in hardened steels; 2) relieves residual stresses; 3) precipitates fine eta- carbides in appropriate steels; and 4) is suspected of refining the crystalline structure of the metal. These metallurgical changes result in reduced residual stresses and increased abrasion resistance, fatigue life, and ductility.

U. S. Cryogenics’ state of the art equipment is capable of achieving temperatures between -315 degrees Fahrenheit and +315 degrees Fahrenheit according to specified profiles. The unique ability to reach these limits in the same machine allows for a more controlled process, eliminating unnecessary handling and exposure of the payload to the environment prior to the completion of the profile/run.

U. S. Cryogenics is a leading provider of cryogenic treatment.