Carbon, Retained Austenite and Cryogenic Treatment

All heat treated steels have a certain percentage of retained austenite after heat treatment has been completed. The goal of heat treatment is to convert as much austenite into martensite. Ultimately, martensite is the most desirable crystal form as it is the toughest and strongest form. However, heat treatment does not remove all of the retained austenite from the steel.

Cryogenic treatment of heat treated steels will help improve the overall martensite crystal content in the steel that is treated. By lowering temperatures down to -120°F or below, it is possible to remove the retained austenite from the heat treatment process, while achieving a 100% martensite crystal structure.

As many of you know, steel is made up of carbon and iron. Carbon is the element that enhances wear resistance in steels. The higher the carbon content, the more wear resistant that steel will be. Tool steels such as A2 or D2 are rich in carbon. Cryogenic treatment enhances carbon clusters through the precipitation of eta-carbides. This helps an already wear resistant steel become even more resistant.

It is important to mention that the amount of retained austenite is directly proportional to the amount of carbon found in the chemistry of various steels. For example, a tool steel with a high carbon content will have significantly more retained austenite after heat treatment than a steel with a lower carbon content. A graph below shows the proportionality of retained austenite to carbon.


Therefore, cryogenic treatment will be of great benefit to high carbon steels as it will transform a greater amount of retained austenite while improving the wear resistance. Through the conversion of retained austenite to martensite, the high carbon steels will become more durable and will lack the voids and imperfections that untreated steels will suffer fatigue failures from.

The bottom line is cryogenic treatment will enhance high carbon steels micro-structure significantly while enhancing wear resistance factors. Due to the link between retained austenite and carbon, high carbon steels will benefit considerably more from the crystal structure transformations than steels with less carbon content. For more information, please visit our cryogenic treatment webpage. If you have any questions or comments, please call (508)-459-7447 or email rtaylor@nitrofreeze.com.

Cryogenic Material Recovery

A few weeks before Christmas, we completed a job for a Worcester-based company using our cryogenic material recovery service. Our customer manufactures and sells safety devices with a very special purpose. These particular parts are used to save someone from drowning after he or she falls through thin ice. The person simply needs to slam the device into solid ice surrounding the hole that he or she fell through. This will keep the person from flowing under the ice or even drowning.

Our customer had several thousand of these safety devices with defects. He had been saving them over the years trying to figure out what to do with them. The part has a plastic casing that is molded around a steel pick and spring. Many of these parts had defects from the molding process such as mold shorts. In addition, some of the steel picks were misaligned when they were molded. Our customer wanted to recycle as many steel picks and springs as possible from these safety devices. His plan was to use these parts in future molding runs. We were happy to help our customer using our cryogenic material recovery service.

We experimented with some sample parts to find the best method to remove the plastic surrounding the steel picks and springs. In the end, the best method involved heating the parts up and then submerging them in a liquid nitrogen bath. This large temperature deviation caused the plastic to crack and shear off of the steel pick. Since there was some variation among the safety devices, a few of the steel picks still had some residual plastic. Our customer told me that he had enough clean steel picks to finish the next molding run. He was quite enthused with the results.

Below are pictures of me lowering the safety devices into the liquid nitrogen bath after the parts had been heated. The second picture shows nitrogen turning from a liquid to a gas as it boils off inside the container holding the safety devices. The last photo shows the picks after our cryogenic material recovery service had been completed.









In the past we have completed many cryogenic material recovery jobs. Customers come to us to recover specific parts of a complete assembly. Typically, we will complete trials on some assemblies to find the best method to remove specific parts. The two most common processes involve utilizing our cryogenic processor for several hours or a liquid nitrogen bath. If you are trying to recover inexpensive or highly valuable parts from an assembly, let us take a look at your application. Please send an email to rtaylor@nitrofreeze.com or call 508 459-7447.

Happy Holidays from the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc.

The team at the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. would like to wish our customers a happy holiday and happy New Year. It’s a great time of year to remind our customers, that without them we would not exist. Rather we grew this year in spite of the economic downturn. Thank you for a great year. Below is our holiday schedule to help you with scheduling.

Friday, December 25: OFF
Friday, January 1: OFF
The rest of the time we will be here.

Again, we would like to wish you, your friends and family happy holidays.

Outsource Your Deflashing and Deburring Needs

Since 2002, the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. has provided cryogenic deflashing and cryogenic deburring services. We provide deflashing and deburring solutions for manufacturers of plastic, rubber and silicone parts. In recent times, we have seen a move away from doing this type of work in-house at manufacturing facilities. As more manufacturers streamline their operations to increase efficiency, it makes sense to outsource deflashing and deburring requirements. This allows companies to make better use of their employees’ time while avoiding downtime and cut fingers.

Outsourcing deflashing and deburring operations is a large step to be taken by any manufacturer. Cost savings can be realized by the manufacturer almost immediately. There will no longer be a need for deflashing or deburring equipment, which upfront can be very expensive to purchase and depreciates quite quickly. In addition, machine operators and people completing hand deburring and deflashing on the job, will no longer be needed. In addition, any raw materials required in the deflashing or deburring operation will no longer be of use. This offers great savings to the manufacturer in the short-term and long-term.

There are many reasons why outsourcing your deflashing and deburring operations to us is the right choice. First, we our standard turnaround is two days after receipt. This ensures that your parts will be processed rather quickly. In addition, we offer same-day and next-day service for 50% and 25% premiums respectively. Second, we are located in the heart of the Northeast. Parts from almost anywhere in New England can get to our location in one day. The same goes for certain areas of New York and northern New Jersey. Most other parts of the Northeast are only 2 days away via UPS, while the rest of the East Coast is about 3 days. Third, we deflash and deburr parts everyday and have for the past 7 years; allowing us to become experts at what we do. Fourth, we offer competitive pricing and given the opportunity we will price match our competitors. We make outsource deflashing and deburring easier and more efficient than doing it in-house.

Our deflashing and deburring services utilize processes named cryogenic deflashing and cryogenic deburring. This process utilizes cryogenic temperatures, tumbling, and plastic media as small as 0.006” to remove flash and burrs from parts. Due to such cold temperatures, the parts’ surface will remain unaffected and will look just like it did before it was processed with the exception that it will be flash and burr free. In addition, our different small sized medias can penetrate and remove flash and burrs in cross-holes, thru-holes and intersecting holes. Our process utilizes batch processing to keep costs per part lower. Lastly, the service offers repeatable results through the use of computer controls.

For more information about our deflashing and deburring services, please visit the corresponding link below.

If you have any questions or comments, please call us at 800-739-7949 or send me an email at rtaylor@nitrofreeze.com. We’d be happy to assist you with your outsource your deflashing or deburring operations.

Nitrofreeze® Cryogenic Deburring Service Expands to Implantable PEEK Medical Devices

Worcester, MA – August 12, 2009 – The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. is proud to announce the capability of removing machine burrs from PEEK medical devices including implants. The Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service has recently undergone trials by medical device manufacturers to remove burrs from PEEK implants. The results reveal that the Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring process is highly effective at removing complex burrs from these parts. In addition, several major medical device manufacturers have independently determined that cryogenic deburring is a safe technique for removing machine burrs from their PEEK implants and have approved its use for their parts.

“These positive results continue to expand the adoption of our Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service by medical device manufacturers as they shift away from less reliable and more expensive hand deburring ”, according to Robin Rhodes, President of the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. “The Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service offers medical manufacturers a safe, clean, and reliable technology to remove machine burrs”, he added. In recent years, the adoption of the Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service by medical manufacturers has consistently increased as more materials and part types use the company’s cryogenic processing to successfully remove residual machine burrs on complex and high value parts.

CNC machines that are used in the production of PEEK medical parts often leave residual burrs after the milling process is complete. Since many of these parts are implanted into humans, they must be 100% burr free while maintaining critical design features. The Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring process freezes the part to maintain essential tolerances - including surface finish and critical dimensions. Once frozen, the parts are tumbled while cryogenic-grade polycarbonate media is blasted at them to remove the offending machine burrs.

“It is exciting that the Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service continues to be adopted in the medical device industry, especially for the rapidly expanding segment of in-vitro (implantable) devices”, according to Ryan Taylor, Product Marketing Specialist at the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. “Medical device manufacturers of PEEK parts are quickly realizing the advantages of Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring, including fast turnaround, lower costs and higher quality”, he added.

The company offers deburring for medical devices on a contract service basis as well as by providing equipment to manufacturers so that they can process the parts themselves in-house. The service offering can accommodate small orders or high volume production lots of hundreds of thousands of parts per week. Most orders are processed within two days of receipt at the company’s main facility in Worcester, MA. The Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service is environmentally-friendly, fast, and cost-effective – especially when compared to the current forms of deburring employed in the medical device industry.

More information about the Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service is available at the company’s web page, http://www.nitrofreeze.com/deburring.html.

The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc., located at 90 Ellsworth St. Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, (800) 739-7949, is dedicated to the commercial application of cryogenic technologies to serve the needs of industry, government and scientists. The firm offers a full range of Nitrofreeze® cryogenic services, including cryogenic burr removal service, cryogenic deflashing services, conventional cryogenic treatment, heat & freeze thermal cycling, shrink fitting services, and dry ice (CO2) blast cleaning. It also offers engineering services, cryogenic lab work in support of R & D, and custom equipment design for new and unique cryogenic applications. It is a corporate sustaining member of the Cryogenic Society of America and ASM-The Material Society.

We Will Source Your Brake Rotors for Cryogenic Treatment

At the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. we offer cryogenic treatment for brake rotors and pads. In recent times, many customers have been asking if we can supply the rotors, complete cryo treatment, and then ship them to the customer...Now we can. We can get you OEM and aftermarket rotors and pads from different manufacturers including AC Delco, Brembo, Zimmermann, Raybestos, and others. This saves our customers on expensive shipping costs one way to our facility. Plus, due to our relationship with our vendors we are able to source our rotors and brake pads at significantly discounted prices. These discounts are then passed on to our customers.

If you are ready to cryogenically treat your brake rotors or pads, then give us a call at 800-739-7949. If you would like to know why you should cryo treat then please read on.

Here are the reasons why you should treat your brake rotors.

1. Treating your brake rotors will allow for better wear resistance. They will last longer as a result; often 200% to 300% longer.
2. Your brake rotors will wear more evenly. This will allow for a smoother stopping surface for faster braking.
3. Brakes will be able to dissipate heat faster due to better thermal properties after cryo treatment. This will reduce brake fade and allow for shorter braking distances.
4. Think of the labor savings. If you do not have to change rotors and pads for 100,000 miles then you will save on the labor of two or more brake jobs, which amounts to hundreds of dollars.
5. Cross-drilled rotors will see a reduction in cracking and develop cracks much later in life. Many customers have treated these rotors and have seen a 300% increase in rotor lifetime.
6. Customers have reported that cryo treated brake systems allow for more than 50 feet shorter stopping distances when hot.

For more information about cryogenic treatment for brake rotors, please visit Cryogenics for Racing. Please remember that non-metallic brake pads should not be cryogenically treated (I.E. ceramic or semi-metallic pads).

Cryogenically treated brakes are beneficial to fleet customers, racers, and every day drivers. You will enjoy safer braking, longer brake part lifetime, and best of all you will save money. We can source rotors and brake pads for you at great prices! As always, if you would like to provide your own rotors or pads we are more than happy to cryogenically treat them.

Cryogenic Deflashing for Rubber and Silicone Parts

One of our service offerings, cryogenic deflashing has seen a major spike in orders lately. Many customers with silicone and rubber parts are utilizing cryogenic deflashing to clean any excess flash from their parts. For the past twenty five years cryogenic deflashing has been the most efficient way to remove flash from rubber and silicone parts. This form of deflashing can save manufacturers a significant amount of money over hand deflashing.

There are two types of cryogenic deflashing available today. The original method involves a large barrel spinning around. This form is called cryogenic tumble deflashing. The barrel is filled with the parts then cooled to cryogenic temperatures and tumbled. This form of cryogenic deflashing is good for smaller parts with excess flash on the edges. As the parts are tumbled at such low temperatures the flash flakes and rubs off of the parts. Smaller rubber and silicone gaskets are also suitable for this process. We offer cryogenic tumble deflashing in house and have for many years.

The second form of cryogenic deflashing utilizes a media to spray the parts. This process was introduced several years after cryogenic tumble deflashing. We refer to this form simply as cryogenic deflashing. Parts are inserted in to a basket which is then put into the machine. This process is computer controlled and capable of saving recipes for each particular part that is run. Variables that are computer controlled include time, temperature, throw wheel speed (rate at which media is blasted), and basket rpm. Other variables include amount of parts in the basket and the media size used on the parts. This process is more efficient than tumble deflashing for many kinds of parts. Parts with parting line flash, gate flash, ejector pin flash, and flash within cross holes and slots will be removed with this process. This form of deflashing is more effective because cycle times are shorter due the extra media blasting capability. As a result, we are able to save you more money when deflashing your parts. This particular cryogenic deflashing service has become one of our most successful service offerings.

Cryogenic deflashing offers an efficient means to remove flash from your parts. Turnaround time is typically two days after receipt which means fewer delays. Process times are often twenty minutes or less, allowing significant cost-savings. If your parts have very exquisite geometries and a fixture is required, we can design and build one. For those utilizing cryogenic deflashing in house within their manufacturing process, now is the time to outsource especially with fluctuating manufacturing orders. Think about all that wasted money spent on unused liquid nitrogen. Shipping costs are much less than the money wasted on lost liquid nitrogen. Call us today at 800-739-7949 for an efficient way to remove flash from your molded parts.

For more information about cryogenic deflashing, take a look at http://www.nitrofreeze.com/deflashing.html. For a Frequently Asked Question section on the process, please visit http://www.nitrofreeze.com/deflashing_deburring_faq.html. To see the cryogenic deflashing process in pictures, go to http://www.nitrofreeze.com/deflashing_deburring_process.html.

We will be presenting these services at the Eastec 2009 tradeshow at the Big E Exposition fair grounds in Springfield, Massachusetts from May 19th to May 21st. You can also visit us at MassPlastics 2009 tradeshow at the Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center in Fitchburg, Massachusetts on October 21st and 22nd. Hopefully we will see you there!