Cryogenic treatment of a coil winding.......-300 degrees

[gitterdug]

I became aware of the cryogenic treatment of gun barrels about 15 years ago. By treating a barrel of a gun with supercold tempering at -300 plus degrees, the molecular structure of metal is realigned and destressed. I am greatly simplifying the process, but in essence, that is what occurs. The molecules line up end to end. It is a permanent treatment and is now used for many different metals.

How does this relate to metal detecting? Ever since I became aware of it, I have wondered if the treatment of the coil windings would benefit from such a treatment. To my non-scientific, but gut fueled thinking.....realigned molecules within the wiring itself would assist in the flow of electrons from the machine, and perhaps increase the size of the field developed by the coil. I am going to post this to several forums here for input.

I went to the website here: http://www.300below.com/ , and asked them that question. I thought it would be a subject perhaps for consideration here as well. I know there are some engineers on here, and this might be a short lived topic, but on the other hand, in my now 38 years detecting, I have never seen the subject raised. So, ok, tell me why or why not realigning the molecular structure of the wiring would or wouldn't enhance the size of the magnetic field, of speed of the signal.

IF I am totally off my rocker, just tell me, and we can move on.

HH

Dennis, with a BRRRRRRRRRight idea!

 

[Sailorman]

A coil assembly is made of different materials which would contract at such different rates it would come apart or shatter and I don't think you could do the windings and then install them. Cryo treatment is primarily for steel and effects the crystaline structure as part of a tempering process. Don't think it would have much effect on non ferrous copper.

The effects are also turning out to be less then permanent from what I've read. I used to make knives for a living and cryo tempering was all the rage for a while. It seems that the effect starts to fade after five years or so and the material will eventually return to it's original tempered properties but before that it is indeed an interesting process.

Now if you could keep the windings at superconducting cold temps you could probably get some interesting stuff happening but I'm not holding my breath on this one.....

 

[GoGoGopher]

Does NOT sound cost effective either from a manufacturing standpoint...If the wire was treated BEFORE being wound, it might have some benefits, but the only true test is to actually DO it...

HH,

 

[fongu]

I wonder if you could put some type of wrap around the coil and fill it up with freon or whatever they use these days. I remember reading in a magazine about these men who could not conceive because their scrotal temperature was too high and they made these little cooler bags to wrap around them and got their wives pregnant. That was better than setting in a tub or ice and trying to focus on the task at hand. lol
This really happened, I just don't know why. Of course, you could put what I know on the back of a postage stamp and still have room for the Gettysburg address. lol-2. Reminds me of this guy who was lost and he was asking this fellow in the back woods for directions. Everytime he asked him a question, he replied I don't know. Finally, the frustrated traveler said: You don't know much of anything do you and he replied: I know I'm not lost. ha. ha.....Happy New Year .

 

[Fishers Ghost]

The main reason for super cooling an electrical conductor is to reduse the Ohmic resistance to near absolute zero thereby increacing the conductors current carrying ability out of sight. This of course would mean a complete redesign of the control ccts and power supplies.

Regulating the temp of the coil might help stability a bit but would seem to be a large mod for a small gain.

Not sure how you would stop the coil from shattering when you bumped it against a rock etc

 

[hammer0419]

I am a knifemaker and have all my knives cryogenically treated after they are heat treated. The process it for better edge retention in knifemaking.