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Yes and Maybe

I have a modest amount of experience with this, including cryo processing of my own label's CDs.

Cryogenic processing is well-recognized in tool-steel metallurgy. Common applications include not only tool steel dies and punches but also brake rotors for racing cars where the rules forbid ceramics and carbon fiber.

Without question, cryogenic processing of steel, which is an alloy, has been demonstrated in peer-reviewed literature to shift the proportions of austenitic and martensitic crystalline structures. In this regard it is just like heat tempering, and heat tempering does not reverse as the piece returns to room temperature.

That being said, and although the same may exist, I am unaware of any literature on the effect of cryo processing on pure elements, ie 99.9999% copper and silver. My impression is that silver is wysiwyg...

Anecdotal evidence is that cryoprocessing helps stuffed circuit boards sound better. I assume that this is nearly 100% a matter of regularizing the structure of the solder junctions.

So, yes, cryo is not voodoo, but the fact that it works for tool steel tabletting punches does not mean it makes a given piece of cable more valuable.

As far as CDs goes, cryo demonstrably changes the modulus of elasticity of the polycarbonate and changes the Q of the resonance also. It makes polycarbonate sound more like polyolefin.

Email me offline for followup, please.



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  • Yes and Maybe - John Marks 02/8/0118:34:21 02/8/01 (1)


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