Cryogenic freezing is emerging as one of the top techniques revolutionizing industries such as cryogenic food processing, medicine, and scientific research.
Today, this technique is opening the door to a multitude of processes that seemed unthinkable only a few years ago, including the preservation of biological materials, food, and other products in order to prevent their degradation.
A fertile field that, enhanced by constant technological advances, holds the potential to drive major progress in the near future. In this context, innovations in equipment and materials are already pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in cryogenic freezing. Let’s analyze it.
What is cryogenic freezing?
Cryogenic freezing is a technique that uses extremely low temperatures (below -150°C or -238°F) to preserve materials and maintain their properties.
Achieving cryogenic temperatures is important for protecting biological materials, which is why it is being applied in various scientific and technological fields, from medicine to scientific innovation and the food sector, as explained below.
How does a cryogenic freezer work?
A cryogenic freezer is a device that generates cryogenic temperatures to preserve certain materials. In order to do so, it is capable of generating temperatures in ranges between -150°C and -273°C.
Although there are various cryogenic freezing techniques, the process must be understood as essentially different from mechanical freezing, since it uses cryogenic liquids to generate instantaneous freezing processes.
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There are different types of cryogenic freezers, depending on their different sizes and particular techniques. These include options such as freezing tunnels or freezing cabinets, among others.
Regarding the specifics of their operation, two of the most notable methods are cryogenic freezing using carbon dioxide, and the use of liquid nitrogen for freezing. Although the details for the operation of each of the gasses differ, both involve storing the gasses in their liquid form and under pressure, so that they can then come into direct contact with the surface to be frozen, transferring their freezing energy.
Benefits and challenges of cryogenic freezing
Advantages of cryogenics
- Long-term preservation of materials without degradation, including cells, tissues, organs and biological materials.
- Applied to food preservation, it overcomes the limitations of mechanical freezing, as it better preserves the texture, flavor and nutrients of food.
Technical and economic challenges
Cryogenic equipment requires cutting-edge technology to reach and maintain cryogenic temperatures, which is a challenge in itself.
Added to this is the specialization required to safely handle cryogenic equipment and materials, while developing a scalable supply chain that is able to match advancements within the sector.
At the same time, the industry is working to make advances in automation and energy efficiency, so that cryogenic solutions become increasingly functional.

When it comes to specific techniques, it should also be mentioned that there are still significant challenges around achieving uniform defrosting of large volumes of material.
Cryogenic freezing: applications in different industries
Food industry
Food preservation is one of the main applications of cryogenic freezing. Today, cryogenic methods are considered the most efficient way of freezing food products since, compared to mechanical options, they’re able to maintain the freshness, texture and flavor for long periods.
Medical and biotechnology industries
There are several ways in which modern medicine is already taking advantage of the possibilities of cryogenic freezing:
- Cell and tissue preservation, allowing these materials’ storage for later use. Today, it is mainly used in blood, stem cell and embryo banks.
- Surgical removal of tissues and viruses.
- Cryogenics-based therapies for a variety of applications, from muscle pain to inflammation and other types of injuries.
- Development of superconducting magnets for MRI scanners.
- Initiatives for storing genetic material from endangered animals and plants.
- Advances in human cryonics, an area that is still in its experimental phase and raises the issue of freezing human bodies with the hope of reviving them in the future.
Scientific research
Among the cutting-edge phenomena linked to scientific research involving cryogenic freezing, superconductivity is one of the prominent. Superconductivity allows the construction of extremely powerful magnets such as those used in particle accelerators, as well as in innovative energy storage techniques and transmission through cables initiatives.
Cryogenic freezing also plays a key role in astrophysical research. An example of this are experiments linked to the detection of Cosmic Microwave Radiation (CMB), a remnant of the heat generated by the Big Bang, that can be detected only through the use of extremely sensitive instruments that operate at temperatures close to absolute zero (-273.15 °C).
Likewise, cryogenic engineering is playing a key role in the research of new sustainable energy sources, including green hydrogen, which offers a promising prospect across different industries.
Keep reading: Green hydrogen and cryogenics: a new challenge for Cryospain
New perspectives and recent innovations in cryogenic freezing technologies
Advances in cryogenic equipment
In many ways, advances in cryogenic freezing technologies are at the forefront of scientific and technical developments at a global level.
Many important developments can be cited, starting with the development of increasingly efficient cryoprotective materials for cell preservation; as well as refrigerants with a lower environmental impact.
Improvements towards an advanced vitrification process are also making a difference as an increasingly useful technique for preserving embryos and stem cells.
Particularly interesting is the introduction of technologies such as nano-cryopreservation, which uses nanoparticles for controlled cooling and heating. A field that is opening the door to the possibility of storing organs for transplants for increasingly longer periods.
Added to this are advances in areas such as cell repair and biotechnology, a particularly promising field for the coming years.

The application of automation and control technologies is also reaching new heights in a field such as cryogenics, where maintaining the integrity of materials requires high precision and real-time monitoring.
The new industries that are adopting cryogenics
A look at trends in cryogenic freezing reveals a growing adoption by both the medical and the pharmaceutical industries. As technology in cryogenics advances, new horizons are opening up within this same sector, including regenerative medicine, which will be based on the possibility of preserving complex human tissues for transplants.
In turn, cryogenic freezing is set to play an increasingly important role in space exploration, a development that is already well underway in leading initiatives such as the SABRE project.
Likewise, at a time when fears for the future of natural ecosystems are increasing, cryogenic freezing opens a food for the development of global genetic banks that could guarantee the conservation of global biodiversity.
In turn, innovation in sustainable transport also sees a unique opportunity in cryogenics, including, as we have already mentioned above, the development of green liquid hydrogen as an energy vector.
A blend of factors that culminates in a market value that is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.19% in this decade.
Cryospain: trusted experts in cryogenic engineering
At Cryospain, our two decades of experience and innovation in the area of cryogenic engineering allow us to position ourselves at the forefront of the most cutting-edge cryogenic projects globally.
Our cryogenic engineering solutions not only stand out for deploying the most advanced technology: they also showcase our ability to adapt to the needs of each project. A commitment that has led us to be involved globally through a wide array of installations and infrastructures in more than twenty countries on four continents.
Would you like to learn more about cryogenic freezing and how to implement it as part of your project? We can help you. Get in touch with us and find out how.
