Cryogenic grinding is a process used in various manufacturing industries and in the study of biology.

Also known as freezer milling or freezer grinding, this method is used to process soft or flexible substances by lowering the material's temperature and then breaking the material into smaller particles. Using this process, substances that are too soft or flexible for grinding at room temperature can be hardened for processing. This process utilizes liquid nitrogen, liquid argon or liquid carbon dioxide to attain the low temperatures necessary to harden the substances being worked with. These supercoolingliquids, which reach temperatures of minus-324.4 degrees Fahrenheit (about minus-198 degrees Celsius) in the case of liquid nitrogen, are capable of freezing most materials on contact. In a controlled environment, the temperature of the material being worked with can be regulated to allow even the softest of materials to be processed using cryogenic grinding equipment. The equipment used for cryogenic processing and grinding has to be able to handle the extreme temperatures of the process. For this reason, typical cryogenic grinding equipment uses the single moving part design, thus reducing the risks of equipment failure. In this type of equipment, a solenoid is used to move the grinding media inside the vial. Cryomilling also falls under the heading of cryogenic grinding, although the process and equipment used are slightly different. In this form of cryogenic grinding, the materials are chilled using a slurry of liquid argon or liquid nitrogen to attain the cryogenic temperatures required for the process. Conventional mechanical milling equipment is used for the milling process, however, rather than the single moving part design of typical cryogenic grinding equipment. The cryogenic grinding processing method is used in various manufacturing industries on a regular basis. Using this method to process thermoplastics and similar substances, manufacturers can create fine powders or particles from these materials. This task would not be possible with conventional grinding equipment because the soft and flexible materials would quickly clog the grinding equipment as the material further softened and adhered to the grinder. The ability of the supercooling liquids used in this process to harden soft materials makes cryogenic grinding an ideal choice for biologists who wish to study tissue samples from plants and animals. Using the cryogenic grinding process and the low temperatures that are at the core of the operation, biologists can even extract nucleic acids from tissue samples. For this procedure, temperatures of minus-80 degrees Fahrenheit (about 26.6 degrees Celsius) are required throughout the extraction process. This temperature falls well within the range of the cryogenic grinding equipment's normal operating temperature

Cryogenics is the study of the production of extremely cold temperatures. This field of science also looks at what happens to a wide variety of materials from metals to gases when they are exposed to these temperatures. Cryogenics has a wide number of potential and actual applications, ranging from tempering metals so that they will be more durable to improving the tone of musical

instruments. There are a number of research opportunities in this field of science, for people who are interested in the study of very low temperatures. Etymologically speaking, cryogenics is literally the study of things that produce incredibly cold temperatures. There are a number of branches of this field, including the study of the impact of freezing on electrical components, and the study of the effect that deep freezing has on biological material like animals or plants. Some scientists focus purely on finding new ways to produce and maintain extremely cold temperatures, allowing others to build on their work in various offshoots of this field of study. The temperature ranges used in cryogenics vary. Many people consider the study of any temperatures below -190 degrees Fahrenheit (-123 degrees Celsius) to be cryogenics. These temperatures are well below the freezing point, and they can have a dramatic impact on materials introduced to these very cold environments. There are a number of ways to produce temperatures this cold, ranging from specialized deep freezers to the use of liquefied gases like nitrogen which will control temperatures under the right pressure conditions. When metals are frozen cryogenically, the strength of their molecular structure can increase, causing the metal itself to be stronger and more durable. Many high-end metal products may be subjected to cryogenics as part of the tempering process. The process is also used in the preparation of specialized medications, and in preservation of a wide range of materials. Cryogenic fuels are also popular for rockets and shuttles. One branch of cryogenic preservation known as cryonics pops up in the news periodically. Humans and other animals can be deep frozen under controlled conditions in the hopes that medical advances will allow them to be resuscitated at some point in the future. Cryonics facilities often charge a hefty fee for their services, and the actual possibility of resuscitation after cryogenic freezing is a topic of debate in the scientific and medical community.

The cryogenic treatment process uses extremely low, or cryogenic, temperatures to treat and strengthen metals. It is generally used to normalize, or eliminate, residual stresses in a metal work piece that has been welded or heat treated. The temperatures used in cryogenic treatment typically exceed 310 below zero Fahrenheit (about -190 Celsius). Treating metal at these extreme temperatures generally results in a work piece that is more durable, less prone to cracking, and easier to machine into a finished part. Cryogenic treatment is used in many industries, but is most common in the manufacture of automotive parts, castings and many types of cutting tools. When a metal part is welded, heat causes the metal to expand in the area around the weld. As the part cools, it contracts unevenly, leaving behind residual stresses and potential weak spots. The

same is true of heat treating and other processes that induce high temperatures in the metal. The extreme cold temperatures employed in cryogenic treatment relieve these stresses and eliminate weak spots in the part by promoting uniform contraction and altering the grain of the alloy. Common cryogenic treatment practices include cryogenic deburring and cryogenic hardening. Deburring is the process of removing sharp edges caused by machining, or flash that builds up when a part is cast or forged. In cryogenic deburring, a work piece is usually cooled with liquid nitrogen to cryogenic temperatures. The extreme cold renders burs and flash brittle, making them easy to remove by shot blasting or tumbling. Since they are soft and difficult to machine at room temperature, plastic and rubber parts are often cryogenically deburred, as well. When a metal part is heat treated, a crystalline structure, called austenite, is transformed to a different shaped grain, called martensite. Since some standards require more martensite than is usually produced by heat treating, the transformation is often extended by cryogenic hardening, which is usually done at temperatures of -300F (-185C) and below. This type of cryogenic treatment causes a rapid change in the structure of the alloy, resulting in a higher percentage of martensite. The music and electronics industries have also found ways to improve the quality of their products through cryogenic treatment. It is believed that cryogenically treating a brassinstrument, such as a trumpet or saxophone, relieves residual stresses created during manufacturing, resulting in better overall vibration and improved intonation. Even steel guitar strings and electronic components, like stereo cables and connectors, are said to show better performance after undergoing cryogenic treatment.