1932:

Construction of the First Plant for Helium Liquefaction. Beginnings of Cryogenics

In 1932, Linde supplied the first industrial helium liquefaction plant in the world to the University of Kharkov in the Ukraine. Helium first liquefies at a temperature of 272.2 degrees below zero Celsius, in other words close to the absolute zero point (273.13 degrees below zero Celsius). In collaboration with Prof. Walther Meissner, Linde developed a plant that combined the Linde air liquefaction process with a pre-refrigeration of the helium using liquid hydrogen.

Plant for helium liquefaction (1965)

In the 1950’s engineers were also working on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and in 1955 they constructed a plant for the production of heavy hydrogen (deuterium). After light water reactors, however, began to dominate the international field, Linde withdrew from this work area. What remained: in the manufacture of heavy hydrogen, Linde’s engineers for the first time came upon an industrial process at temperatures of 252 degrees below zero Celsius. Today Linde is virtually without competition in the area of lowest temperatures (cryogenics) and ranks world-wide among the technology leaders.

Cryogenics finds applications, among other areas, in aerospace. In this context, for example, in 2001, Linde built a special cooling unit for the storage of biological materials for the ISS International Space Station. The innovative freezing system secured a constant temperature of 80 degrees below zero Celsius throughout the entire flight time.

Today, Linde Engineering has cryogenic centers in Switzerland and the United States, where helium chilling plants, helium liquefaction plants and hydrogen liquefaction plants are constructed.