What Is the Temperature of Liquid Nitrogen?

The temperature of liquid nitrogen is -196°C (-321°F) at its boiling point.

For reference, -89.2°C (-128.56 °F) is the coldest temperature ever recorded at ground level on Earth! 

(In Antarctica, unsurprisingly.)

That extreme cold makes liquid nitrogen the go-to cryogenic fluid for everything from freeze-grinding materials to keeping biological samples viable for years.

WestAir supplies nitrogen across California and Arizona.

Liquid Nitrogen: Freezing and Boiling Points Explained

The liquid nitrogen temperature range spans between -210°C (freezing point) and -196°C (boiling point). That’s a narrow window. If you lose control of the temperature, you’ll be dealing with solid nitrogen or rapidly expanding gas.

The temperature of liquid nitrogen puts it in a league of its own among commonly used industrial materials. While liquid helium is even colder (it boils at -269°C), it’s rarely used outside of highly specialized applications due to its cost and scarcity.

While dry ice (-78.5°C) can freeze tissue, liquid nitrogen’s much lower temperature (-196°C) makes it the standard choice in dermatology. Its extreme cold allows for more rapid, controlled, and effective freezing of skin abnormalities, which is why dermatologists prefer it for cryotherapy procedures.

Physical Properties and Behavior at Ultra-Low Temperatures

At its standard temperature range, liquid nitrogen exhibits outstanding physical properties.

It’s clear, colorless, and flows more freely than acetone – which matters when you need precise application.

When it comes into contact with materials at room temperature, liquid nitrogen creates an insulating layer of nitrogen gas that can slow down the cooling process. Nitrogen droplets hover on the thin layer of nitrogen gas, after which they evaporate.

That’s the Leidenfrost effect, and it’s why you see that white fog rolling off cryogenic equipment. The exact process is outlined in this image:

When liquid nitrogen boils, it expands dramatically – one liter of the liquid becomes approximately 694 liters of gas at room temperature. Because of this, liquid nitrogen has various uses.

Industrial and Medical Applications of Liquid Nitrogen

The extreme cold of liquid nitrogen makes it useful in many industries, such as:

• Medicine – the low liquid nitrogen temperature is ideal for preserving biological materials like blood samples and tissue specimens.
• Manufacturing – production facilities leverage liquid nitrogen’s low temperature for many processes (freeze-grinding materials, shrink-fitting metal parts, removing unwanted material through freeze-fracturing, etc.).
• Food production – the food industry uses liquid nitrogen for flash-freezing products to maintain quality and freshness.
• Semiconductor manufacturing – this industry heavily depends on liquid nitrogen’s ultra-low temperature for testing electronic components and maintaining precise environmental conditions during manufacturing processes.

Safety and Handling Considerations

While it enables many uses, liquid nitrogen’s low temperature can pose significant health and safety risks. At -196°C, direct contact with liquid nitrogen can cause serious issues like:

• Severe cryogenic burns
• Frostbite
• Eye damage

So, cryogenic gloves and face shields are required for safely handling liquid nitrogen.

Vaporization also brings risks – even one liter of liquid nitrogen can displace enough oxygen in a confined space to cause asphyxiation. Proper ventilation when working with liquid nitrogen indoors is necessary to mitigate this risk.

Finally, storage containers must be specially designed to handle liquid nitrogen’s ultra-low temperatures. Regular containers can become brittle and fail when exposed to such extreme cold, so cryogenic storage tanks and highly insulated cylinders are a safer alternative.

Follow the protocols, use the right equipment, and liquid nitrogen becomes one of the most versatile tools in your operation.

Further Reading: 4 Interesting Facts about Nitrogen

Nick Vasco

Nick is an experienced B2B writer who brings his skill for crafting clear, easily digestible content to the industrial gas space.