X-Message-Number: 31970
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:15:01 -0700
Subject: CAS freezing
From: Brian Wowk <>

       I wrote:

>> "One very simple demonstration of CAS freezing and how it prevents ice
>> crystal formation is that it can freeze a full glass bottle of water.
>> The water level remains the same, the glass does not break, and the
>> water is crystal clear except for a few bubbles."
>>
>> This strains credulity.

      Jeff David replied:

> The technical issue is whether pure water, if supercooled below its
> freexing point by 7 deg C/ 12.6 deg F while being prevented from
> "solidifying" into either an ordered crystalline solid (ice) or an
> amorphous solid (vitrified water), putatively as the result of the
> influence of an externally applied magnetic field, will upon sudden
> removal of the magnetic field, "flash solidify" into a vitrified (ie
> non-crystalline) state.

       It occurs to me that solidifying pure water into an amorphous
solid (vitrifying it) at the temperatures and pressures used by CAS is
physically impossible.  The reason is as follows.  We already know the
physical properties of amorphous (vitrified) water because it is
possible to vitrify pure water in the laboratory by cooling small
droplets very fast (about a million degrees Celsius per minute).  In
particular, we know the glass transition temperature of vitrified
water.  It is approximately -130 degC.  When a vitrified solid is
warmed above its glass transition temperature, it becomes liquid.
Therefore any vitrified water sample is going to turn to a liquid at a
temperature warmer than about -130 degC.  What happens when vitrified
water turns to liquid water at -130 degC?  It freezes into ice
practically instantly.

       Therefore, if we assume that ice formation is prevented by
electromagnetic energy in a CAS system at -20 degC, water will only be
able to exist in two states when the power is turned off.  It can only
exist as supercooled liquid, or exist as ice.  It cannot become an
amorphous solid because the temperature is a 100 degrees higher than
the known temperature at which glassy water turns to liquid water (the
glass transition temperature).

       I read the CAS patents a couple of years ago.  My understanding
is that they claim water does freeze when the power is turned off, but
into smaller, less damaging crystals.  This is possible, and it might
help food preservation.  But it's not going to keep the water level
the same as when the water was a liquid.  Ice is still ice.  Put a
sample of CAS solidified water into liquid water at 0 degC, and I
guarantee you it will float.

---Brian Wowk

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=31970