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One more thing...

Your understanding of cryogenic treatment relaxing residual stresses is correct, as far as I know.

You do not want to have someone use equipment where the liquid nitrogen comes in direct contact with the item being treated. It must have an inner chamber (filled with air) with an outer jacket through which the liquid nitrogen flows. Anyone who says the directly cooled method (i.e. no inner chamber) is safe doesn't know what he is talking about and should be avoided at all costs.

I've also heard of liquid helium being used to achieve even colder temperatures (-400 F) than achievable with liquid nitrogen (-320 F), but the treatment is far more expensive (remember, absolute zero is -460 F). In general, heat cycling as well as putting certain electrical signals through equipment (1 kHz square waves, for example) to break it in and relax stresses have been reported to be used quite a bit by some regarded high end audio manufacturers. Because these practices tend to be the icing on the cake that gives them a slight edge over the competition, it all tends to be a black art and is kept secret.




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  • One more thing... - Brian Walsh 10/15/0018:32:46 10/15/00 (1)


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