How does cryo treating work

Cryogenics, or deep freezing, has long been revered as a secret weapon for professional rock racers, Trophy Truck teams, and several other real-world professionals outside the four-wheeling community. In short, cryo treatment is a process by which metal is subjected to extremely cold temperatures as low as minus degrees Fahrenheit.

The process works on anything made of metal. The time it takes to treat a part relates directly to its mass. Most small parts, such as axles, gears and U-joints, can be treated in several hours' time. The results are, in the simplest of terms, stronger, more durable metal with a much higher yield strength. This begs the question: Why don't all manufacturers treat each and every axle, gear, bearing, or other drivetrain component before assembly?

The answer lies in the cost of the process. All metal parts have a specific grain structure to them. Think of it like this: Steel under a microscope has thousands of little divisions that interlock together, forming what appears to the naked eye as one uniform metallic part.

Here is an example Fig. A of what untreated steel might look like under intense magnification. A, Austenite Notice the long disorganized lines revealing very little complexity in grain structure. This is referred to as austenite. Austenite is a solid solution of carbon and iron that is formed during the quenching phase of metal production.

Metal Expert. Updated January 31, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Bell, Terence. An Introduction to Cryogenic Hardening of Metal. The Characteristics of Austenitic Stainless Steel. Metal Profile and Properties of Tellurium. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for ThoughtCo. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.

We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Also, if you can sneak some of your machining tools and bits into a batch to be cryogenically treated, they too will benefit from the process.

It will vary the hardness of the part only by about one Rockwell C point, a standard scale used in metallurgy. It works on lots of different types of metals, including steel, cast iron and aluminum. It also can be used to increase the service life on components in your tow vehicle, chief among them brake rotors, which last three to four times longer than stock when treated. For a whitepaper on the benefits of cryogenic treatment, visit ASM International. The Cryogenic Society of America maintains a database of research on cryogenic treatment.

This would be the same with crankshafts of other components that are under high stress. Very interested to read the white papers. Years ago, I interviewed Joe Mondello, who was an Oldsmobile specialist and he told me that he used to put everything on the shaker table and then cryo-treat it. Thursday, November 11, Sign in. Forgot your password? Get help. Password recovery. A Hard-Fought Championship.

Schedule Yourself For Success.