What is Cryogenics?


What is Cryogenics?

Welcome to the Millennium Cryogenic Technologies blog, your information source for how and why cryogenics is applied in real world.  Cryogenics has been made popular through Hollywood movies such as Alien, Encino Man, Vanilla Sky and the recent Star Trek: Into Darkness. But despite tinsel town’s (very inaccurate) portrayal of cryogenics, this technology is used for very practical reasons.  In fact, cryogenic technology is available right here in the Edmonton region!

This is not how cryogenics works....

This is not how cryogenics works….

Facts & fiction

To start, let’s debunk a few myths.

Myth: Cryogenics is all about freezing and resuscitating bodies.  Myth busted – sort of.  Cryotherapy is a term that describes medical treatments involving low temperatures, but the practice of freezing a body solid thawing it out years later is not standard practice.  That doesn’t mean people don’t try.  Places like the Alcor Life Extension Foundation practice cryonics.  Cryonics, according to their website, is “the science of using ultra-cold temperature to preserve human life with the intent of restoring good health when technology becomes available to do so.” To date, however, cryonics has not moved past the freezing stage and current technology does not exist to bring a dead, cryonic-frozen body back to life.

Myth: Miraculous stories exists where people are accidentally frozen and return to life after they are thawed out. Myth busted!  There is no shortage of stories about people that tumble into icy water or are found outdoors in the snow only to return to a full and healthy life after they warm up, but don’t be fooled.  These are cases of suspended animation, or forced hibernation.  The body has not actually perished. Check out this Live Science article for a full explanation.

Myth: Cryogenics is only for human application. Definitely busted!  Cryogenics is a technology used across many industries, from the medical field to food service.  We should know – we provide cryogenic services for many of those industries.

So, what is Cryogenics?

Cryogenics is a broad term that describes applying below-freezing temperatures to alter the state of matter, be it food, a body, metal or more.  Although we are still years away from freezing a body solid and returning it to life, cryogenics is still an exciting, innovative, technologically-driven field.

Cryogenics in Edmonton

Cryogenic technology exists right here in Edmonton, Alberta.  We are located in Leduc and service clients across Alberta and North America.  Our services involve using cryogenics to enhance the service life of metal tools.  Millennium’s technology has been applied on oil sands tools, on fleet and race vehicles, on rifles, mining equipment, forestry cutting instruments and more.

You see, when you apply cryogenic technology to metals, you radically change their durability.  The process hardens and refines metals, making them far more efficient for field use.  Millennium is proud to say we can more than double the life expectancy of many metal-based tools.

gears, cogs and ball-bearings in blue

Stay tuned to learn more

At Millennium Cryogenics Technologies, we are dedicated to helping you learn more about cryogenics and how it can be used in your industry.  Stay tuned to this blog to learn more and contact us anytime to discuss how our services can benefit you.