Top 5 Facts: Liquid nitrogen

Below are five uses for any spare liquid nitrogen you might have lying around.

Making ice cream

Ice cream frozen with liquid nitrogen is smooth, creamy, light in texture and a litre can be made in 3 seconds. Fans of this technique include world-class chef Heston Blumenthal.

Preserving specimens

Rapid freezing can be used to preserve tissue such as blood and bone marrow. Other items that can also be stored in liquid nitrogen include animal embryos, bacteria and fungi.

Removing warts

Freezing off warts and verrucas using liquid nitrogen is a common, quick procedure that’s simple enough to do in a doctor’s office. The extreme cold destroys the unwanted skin cells.

Recycling tyres

Rubber tyres are built to be durable, making them hard to destroy. Freezing makes them brittle so they can be smashed into ‘crumbs’ for uses like building running tracks.

Powering cars

Liquid nitrogen could be a futuristic fuel. As it rapidly changes from a liquid to a gas, the resulting gas flow could power a turbine and turn car wheels.