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Technifab Hoses
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Designing Cryogenic Piping Systems for the Demands of Modern Life Science Labs

As life science facilities become more advanced and specialized, the infrastructure behind them must evolve to meet increasing demands for efficiency, precision, and cost-effectiveness. Technifab Products, Inc., in partnership with CryoWorks, is leading the way in cryogenic piping solutions for the biotech, pharmaceutical, and research sectors—supporting applications ranging from cryosurgery...
July 9, 2025
Quantum Design
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Quantum Design Signs Agreement to Acquire NanoScience Division ofOxford Instruments

Quantum Design, a leading developer of cryogenic measurement systems based in San Diego, California, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire the NanoScience Division of Oxford Instruments. Located in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, NanoScience is a global innovator in ultra-low-temperature cryogenic instrumentation. The acquisition, expected to close by the end of...
July 9, 2025
A Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 73 crew members including NASA astronaut Jonny Kim on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Photo ©NASA/Joel Kowsky
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Stainless VJP Enable Cryogenic Liquid Supply Chains in Space and on Earth

A Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 73 crew members including NASA astronaut Jonny Kim on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Photo ©NASA/Joel Kowsky What do space exploration and the Hydrogen Economy have in common? A need to transport large volumes...
July 9, 2025
News

Google and Commonwealth Fusion Systems Sign Strategic Partnership

Credit: Commonwealth Fusion Systems Google and Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) today announced a new global milestone, a bold partnership to develop, deploy and scale clean, secure fusion power. Google signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity from CFS’ inaugural ARC power plant, which CFS expects...
June 30, 2025
Image source: Taihan/SuperNode
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Korean Cable Corp Signs Deal Next-Gen Superconductors

Image source: Taihan/SuperNodeA leading Korean cable company has signed a deal with an Irish firm to develop “next-generation” superconducting cables for the offshore wind industry. Taihan will work with Dublin-based SuperNode on the design and roll out of polymer-based transmission cables which promise to “significantly” enhance efficiency and simplify installation...
June 24, 2025
Modifying gas chromatography systems with cryogenic technologies Subscribe for newsletter updates Researchers at Monash University in Clayton, Australia, have developed a new 3D-printed device for gas chromatography (GC), demonstrating its effectiveness in carrying out multidimensional and enantioselective separations. GC has long been central to chemical analysis, particularly for mixtures of volatile compounds. However, its resolution can be insufficient for separating complex mixtures. Scientists have addressed this limitation with techniques such as multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC), which both require modulation devices. Thermal modulators, among the earliest developed, remain widely used. In this study, the researchers designed a stainless steel 3D-printed device to function as a cold trapping assembly when cooled with liquid CO₂. Its operational principle mirrors that of a longitudinally modulated cryogenic system (LMCS). Cryogenic technologies have precedent in chromatography, offering the capacity to remobilise trapped components, thereby enabling new analytical approaches. When integrated with GC, such devices allow analysts to apply advanced separation techniques. The team detailed the enclosure design and assessed its performance for collecting and rapidly remobilising volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Modulation period precision was evaluated, yielding a maximum error of 8 microseconds and an average variation of less than 1 nanosecond across 10,000 successive modulations. Using a C5–C9 alkane series, the system was shown to effectively trap analytes, with peaks achieving a full width at half height (FWHH) as low as 65 milliseconds. The maximum trapping time was determined using hexane, with the modulator retaining the compound for up to 9 seconds at 100 °C before breakthroughs occurred. The system was also used to investigate the enantioselective separation of limonene, a compound derived from citrus peel oils. Although only one chiral column was used, different column lengths (ranging from 20 cm to 5.0 m) were drawn through the modulator. These effectively acted as enantioselective second-dimension (2D) columns. Injected (R,S)-limonene enantiomers were collected simultaneously and then rapidly transferred to the 2D column. The 3D-printed modulator successfully trapped hexane, enabling modulation periods of up to 8 seconds. This was achieved at oven temperatures of up to 100 °C. While higher temperatures were not tested, the researchers suggest that hexane modulation beyond this point is likely feasible. Ultimately, the study demonstrated the feasibility of comprehensive two-dimensional GC using 3D-printed modulators with a tea tree oil sample. Although 2D retention times exceeded optimal limits for GC × GC under the conditions tested, the authors propose that further refinement of columns and methods could yield improved separation.
News

Modifying Gas Chromatography Systems with Cryogenic Technologies

Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria. Credit: Montash University, Australia Researchers at Monash University in Clayton, Australia, have developed a new 3D-printed device for gas chromatography (GC), demonstrating its effectiveness in carrying out multidimensional and enantioselective separations. GC has long been central to chemical analysis, particularly for mixtures of volatile compounds. However,...
June 24, 2025

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Latest in Defining Cryogenics
Defining Cryogenics

Mixed Refrigerant Cycles

Most cryogenic refrigeration systems, both large scale systems and cryocoolers, use helium as a working fluid. There are a number of advantages to helium, not the least of which is that helium remains a fluid down to the lowest achievable temperatures. In order to freeze helium, pressures of over 20...
March 7, 2016
Defining Cryogenics

Fountain Pumps and He II Phase Separators

Helium II (He II), the second liquid phase of the 4He isotope described in this column in Cold Facts Spring 2010 (http://2csa.us/he2), can be modeled as consisting of two interpenetrating fluids. One, the superfluid component, has zero viscosity and entropy and the other, the normal fluid component, has nonzero viscosity...
November 2, 2015
Defining Cryogenics

Turboexpanders

A vital technology in the refrigerators and liquefiers described in Cold Facts Volume 31 Number 3 is that of turboexpanders. These devices are rotating machines in which the process fluid (e.g., helium) does work against the turboexpander while moving from high pressure to a lower pressure and thus is cooled....
September 22, 2015
Latest in Cryo Central
Cryo Central

Cryogenic Treatment of Materials

F.J. Diekman Controlled Thermal Processing, Inc. info@metal-wear.com Cryogenic Processing (also called cryogenic treatment, and incorrectly “cryogenic tempering”) is a process that uses cryogenic temperatures to modify materials to enhance their performance. Cryogenic Processing involves the slow reduction in temperature of the material to at least -300°F (-185°C) and holding the...
April 18, 2008
Cryo Central

Cryogenics in Space

Peter Kittel University of California-Berkeley pkittel@cal.berkeley.edu Space Cryogenics is the application of cryogenics to space missions. These applications fall into two broad areas, supporting space science missions and supporting the space transportation infrastructure. Science applications: The atmosphere is opaque to much of the electro-magnetic spectrum. In space, the absence of...
April 18, 2008
Cryo Central

Cryosurgery

Review of Cryosurgery Boris Rubinsky, PhD Hebrew University School of Science and Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Engineering 78b Ross Building Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904 Israel rubinsky@cs.huji.ac.il as published in Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, August 2000, Vol. 2, pp. 157-187. Abstract: Cryosurgery is a surgical technique that employs freezing...
April 18, 2008
Cryo Central

Liquefied Natural Gas

Liquefied Natural Gas as it relates to the Field of Cryogenics John W. Bonn VJ Systems, LLC johnbonn@vjsystems-lic.com Today the world is looking for a cleaner fuel and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plays a large part in achieving this goal. LNG in a liquid form is at -162°C (-259°F) and...
April 18, 2008
Latest in Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts

An Issue of Pressure and Flow Rate in a Supply Tank

Please help solve this problem: A supply tank requires a vaporizer to generate sufficient pressure to pump stored fluid up into a vehicle or tank. The available head is limited as the tank level falls and it is important to minimize the system pressure drop to maintain the desired flow...
April 20, 2018
Ask the Experts

Using MLI on VJ Line Joints or Cryo Storage Tanks

When installing Multi Layer Insulation (MLI) blankets on VJ line joints or cryo storage tanks should they be wrapped and tied down tight or loose? These are usually pre-cut to size. Also should they have an access hole at the point of where the molecular sieve is installed to help...
April 20, 2018