EFFECT OF CRYOGENIC TREATMENT ON METALS & ALLOYS

Jatinder Singh, M.Tech. Student, SLIET, Longowal (email kataria_jatinder@yahoo.Co.In)

Arun Kumar, M.Tech. Student, SLIET, Longowal (email arun_kthl@yahoo.com)
Dr. Jagtar Singh, Assistant Professor, SLIET Longowal (e-mail jagtarsliet@gmail.Com)

ABSTRACT

Cryogenics is the study and use of materials at very low temperature. The National
Institute of Standards and Technology has suggested that the term cryogenics be applied
to all temperatures below -150° C (-238° F or 123° above absolute zero on the Kelvin
scale). Cryogenic temperatures are achieved either by the rapid evaporation of volatile
liquids or by the expansion of gases confined initially at pressures of 150 to 200
atmospheres Cryogenic treatment of tooling steels is a proven technology to increase
wear resistance and extend intervals between component replacements for blades, bits,
and machining mills. At cryogenic temperatures many materials behave in ways unfamiliar
under ordinary conditions. Mercury solidifies and rubber becomes as brittle as glass.

NASA engineers were the first to notice the effects of cold temperatures on materials.
They noticed that many of the metal parts in the aircraft that had returned from the cold
vacuum of space came back stronger than they were before flight. Some metals, when
sufficiently cooled, become superconductors—that is, materials that have no resistance to
the flow of an electrical current.

Keywords: Cryogenic Treatment, Superconductors, Resistance to Wear

 1. INTRODUCTION

Cryogenic treatment of metals to improve wear characteristics is a relatively new

engineering field and little has been reported on the basic mechanism by which
the technique operates. Over the past few years there has been increase in
interest in the application of cryogenic treatment to different materials. Research
has shown that cryogenic treatment increase product life, and in most cases
provides additional qualities to the product such as stress relieving. It has been
reported that cryogenic treatment can double the service life of HSS tools

Mechanical properties and density of the Fe-Cr-Mo-Ni-C-Co alloy are listed in

Table 1. The results show that there is no change in density after cryogenic
treatment. Hardness has an increase of 2.5(HRC) and there is a slight decrease in
compressive strength. Both hardness and compressive strength can still satisfy
the need of user.[1]

Cryogenic is done to make sure there is no retained Austenite during quenching in

cryogenically treated steel. When steel is at the hardening temperature, there is a
solid solution of Carbon and Iron, known as Austenite. The amount of Martensite
formed at quenching is a function of the lowest temperature encountered. At any
given temperature of quenching there is a certain amount of Martensite and the
balance is untransformed Austenite. This untransformed austenite is very brittle
and can cause loss of strength or hardness, dimensional instability, or cracking.

Most medium carbon steels and low alloy steels undergo transformation to 100 %
Martensite at room temperature. However, high carbon and high alloy steels have
retained Austenite at room temperature. To eliminate retained Austenite, the
temperature has to be lowered. In Cryogenic treatment the material is subject to
deep freeze temperatures of as low as -185°C (-301°F), but usually -75°C (-103°F)
is sufficient. The Austenite is unstable at this temperature, and the whole
structures become Martensite as shown in figure 1. This is the main reason to use
Cryogenic treatment at high carbon & high alloy steels.

Cryogenic treatment improves tool life of various industrial tools as reported by [3]
and shown in table ‘2’.

Basically Cryogenic processing makes changes to the structure of materials being

treated. Depending on the composition of the material it performs three things:

 Turns retained austenite into martensite

 Refines the carbide structure
 Relieves the stresses
 2. METHODS OF OBTAINING CRYOGENIC TEMPERATURES

There are three main cooling methods to achieve Cryogenic temperatures:

 Transfer of Heat (The transfer of heat to a cold gas stream using counter flow Heat
Exchangers.)
 External work (Reciprocating engine working in reverse. More commonly a turbine
expander.)
 Isenthalpic Expansion (The Joules-Thomson effect. Each gas has an inversion
curve.)

Cryogenically Following Materials Can Be Treated:

 Any ferrous or non-ferrous metals

 Alloys
 Some forms of plastics

With This Following Engineering Components Can Be Treated:

 Machine tool bits including end mills, saws and drills, industrial tooling, cutting
blades for profiling etc
 Virtually all engine components including heads, blocks, camshafts, crankshafts,
rods and valve springs
 Drive chain components including gearboxes and axles
 Brake drums and rotors
 Firearm barrels & many more

3. IS CRYOGENIC TRETMENT IS USED AS SUBSTITUTE TO HEAT

TREATMENT?

Cryogenic Processing is not a substitute for heat-treating. If the product is poorly

treated cryogenic treatment can't help it, also if the product is overheat during
remanufacture or overstressed during use, we may destroy the temper of the steel
which is developed during the heat treatment process. So here, the cryogenic
process becomes useless by default. Cryogenic processing will not in itself harden
metal like quenching and tempering. It is an additional treatment to heat-treating.
Perhaps Cryogenics is a treatment that you will never wear off the process like a
coating but you will be able to sharpen, dress, or modify your tooling without
damaging the process. The process also relieves residual stresses some forms of
plastics, this has been proven by field studies conducted on product in high impact
scenarios where stress fractures are evident.
 4. BENEFITS

Researcher has shown many benefits, following are the main benefits of
cryogenically treated material:

 Significantly enhances abrasive wear resistance

 Improves corrosion resistance
 Increases dimensional stability before extensive machining
 This process is irreversible, with beneficial properties retained even after
resurfacing
 Closes and refines metal grain structures
 Transforms retained austenite into the harder, more desirable martensite
 Reduces retained stresses, as well as wear and surface stresses
 Cuts operating costs and downtime by reducing the need for tool replacement or
regrinding and maintenance
 Effective for items ranging in size from tiny drills to dies weighing hundreds of
pounds.

5. DISADVANTAGES

 High cost of operation

 Processing Difficulties( Temp. Difficult to Maintain)
 Area Under Research
 Difficulties To manufacture The Equipments
 Standards not followed in INDIAN Scenario

6. APPLICATIONS

Cryogenic processing has a huge range of applications in materials processing.

Just a few of them are:

 Shrink fitting is a convenient technique to assemble parts when the tolerances

between pieces are very close or there is a negative tolerances. The shaft is
cooled to decrease its diameter; the shaft is then assembled with its related parts
and allowed to warm up to room temperature to make the join.

 Stabilization of aluminum and magnesium alloys can be achieved by repeated

cycles of cryogenic soaking and tempering. Cycling occurs from 3 to 10 times
between –185 °C and +125 °C. The rapid cycling of temperature reduces residual
stresses caused by dislocations and internal defects and promotes dimensional
stability and machinability.

 Cryogenic wire drawing When austenitic stainless steel wire is drawn at cryogenic
temperatures instead of room temperature there is improvements of 30 % in yield
and ultimate tensile strength.

 The major use of cryogenic treatment in the processing of materials is to improve

the properties of steels.
 Cryogenics is used for the large-scale production of oxygen and nitrogen from air.
The oxygen can be used in a variety of ways, for example, in rocket engines, for
cutting and welding torches, for supporting life in space and deep-sea vehicles,
and for blast furnace operations. The nitrogen goes into the making of ammonia
for fertilizers, and it is used to prepare frozen foods by cooling them rapidly
enough to prevent destruction of cell tissues. It can also serve as a refrigerant and
for transporting frozen foods.

 Cryogenics has also made possible the commercial transportation of liquefied

natural gas. Without cryogenics, nuclear research would lack liquid hydrogen and
helium for use in particle detectors and for the powerful electromagnets needed in
large particle accelerators. Such magnets are also being used in nuclear fusion
research. Infrared devices & lasers can employ cryogenic temperatures as well.

 Cryogenic surgery, or cryosurgery, is being used for the treatment of Parkinson

disease, the technique being based on the selective destruction of tissue by
freezing it with a small cryogenic probe. A similar technique has also been
employed to destroy brain tumors and to arrest cervical cancer.

 New successful applications are turning up for alloys used in welding operations.
Apart from good results already observed in treated copper-cobalt-beryllium alloys
used in spot welding, Cryobest process has also enhanced the performance of
electrodes made of copper-tungsten alloy used in a welding operation for the
manufacturing of stainless steel cannulas (tiny tubes for medical purpose).[4]

Conclusion: Cryogenic or super chilling of most metals and alloys and some
plastics, reduces wear and stress to a far greater extent than untreated metals and
alloys.

References
[1] Effects of cryogenic treatment on mechanical properties and microstructure of Fe-Cr-Mo-Ni-C-Co alloy
ZHU Yuan-zhi 1, 2, YIN Zhi-min 2, ZHOU Yong 3, LEI Quan-feng 3, FANG Wen-sheng 3 J. Cent. South Univ.
Technol. (2008) 15: 454−458 DOI: 10.1007/s11771−008−0085−9

[2] P Sekhar Babu, Member P Rajendran, Non-member Dr K N Rao, Fellow Cryogenic Treatment of M1,
EN19 and H13 Tool Steels to Improve Wear Resistance/ IE (I) Journal-MM

[3] Sub-zero Treatment of Steels Technology/Processes/Equipment/Linde/www.google.com

[4] Multistage Cryogenic Treatment Of Materials /Newsletter September 2008/www.cryobest.com

[5] Microsoft Encyclopedia 2005

[6] A brief history and overview of Cryogenic Processing/Internet

 Figure 1

Table 1 Comparison of mechanical properties of studied alloys after different heat

treatments

Sample Density/(g·cm−3) Hardness(HRC) Compressive

strength/MPa
Measured User Measured User
requirement requirement
As-received 7.39 41.0 39−45 713 650
After cryogenic 7.39 43.5 39−45 672 680
treatment

[Source: 1]

Table 2 Tool Life Improvements Using Cryotreatment

Average Average Wear

Tooling life before life after ratio
treatment treatment
5-cm end mills used to cut C1065 steel 65 parts 200 parts 3.07
Hacksaw blades used to cut bosses on 4h 6h 1.5
M107 shells
Zone punches used on shell casings 64 shells 5,820 82.5
shells
Copper resistance welding tips 2 weeks 6 weeks 3.0

Progressive dies used in metal working 40,000 250,000 6.25

hits hits
Blanking of heat treated 4140 and 1095 1,000 2,000 2.0
steel pieces pieces
Broaching operation on forged connecting 1,500 8,600 parts 5.73
rods parts

[Source: 3]