For example, if silicone, rubber or any thermoplastic is exposed to cryogenic temperatures, I understand that they will embrittle and have very different material properties than at ambient. But once the materials are brought back to ambient conditions, would the cryogenic exposure have any lasting impact?
I would think not since there shouldn't have been any state change but I would appreciate if there were sources/papers that have investigated this previously.
Cryogenic Temperatures and High Performance Plastics
Cryogenics is the study of the production and behavior of materials at very low temperatures. A cryogenic environment exhibits temperatures below -150°C. Many modern industries use cryogenics in a wide variety of applications. Some of these applications include cryogenic fuels, spacecraft hardware as well a machinery for medical and bio-science. Applications include freezers and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), particle accelerators, and superconducting magnets. Curbell Plastics® recently published a white paper by Dr. Keith Hechtel on the effect of cryogenic temperatures on some common high performance plastics. This article will briefly summarize some of the white paper’s main points.
The Effect of Cryogenic Temperatures on Plastic Materials cryogenics (craftechind.com)
www.craftechind.com/the-effect-of-cryogenic-temperatures-on-plastic-materials/
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Plastics for Extreme Temperature Applications
High-performance polymers for cryogenic and elevated temperature environments
www.curbellplastics.com/Research-Solutions/Industry-Solutions/Challenging-Environments/Plastics-for-Extreme-Temperature-Applications?buttonclick=pdf
Hi Len Leonid Mizrah , unfortunately the linked material doesn't mention if there are lasting effects on the material once returned to ambient conditions
Radiation defects created in semiconductor crystals at low temperatures can be annealed at higher temperatures. However, there are different types of annealing - their durations and steps are found experimentally. What is important - the defects migrate at elevated temperatures and / or realign their atomic bonds and return into termo-equilibrium positions of a crystal's atomic structure. Plastic materials are dielectrics with predominantly molecular bonds. Electric and optical measurements aren't as efficient as in semiconductors. It makes it difficult to find as to whether lasting effects taking place. Perhaps infrared absorption spectroscopy of thin plastics films may shed some light?
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