So Far, Trucking Has Turned Cold Shoulder to Cryogenics
It was a common scene at grade school science fairs: a demonstration of the effects of extreme cold.
Charles Lenker, chief technology officer of Leading Edge Cryogenics in Camp Verde, Ariz., says his company’s process has virtually eliminated cracking of brake rotors in a fire engine used by the Tempe (Ariz.) Fire Department and that some auto dealerships in the state now stock cryogenically treated brake pads.
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An exhibitor immersed a rubber ball in liquid nitrogen, telling onlookers that the substance was minus 321 degrees Fahrenheit. After bathing the ball, the exhibitor would try to bounce it, but the frozen sphere shattered into hundreds of pieces.
Now, several experts in cryogenics — the science of extreme cold — say liquid nitrogen can have the opposite effect on some materials, making them harder and stronger. It’s a process they say has plenty of potential benefits for makers of trucks and truck parts, but the innovation has yet to take hold in the industry.
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