Could steam be expanded through a nozzle to get 0°C gas?

[Christofer Br]

Obviously expanding the gas cools it down. I'm interested if you could boil water and then expand the high pressure steam to cool it down to 0°C. Or are there subtler thermodynamics that would prevent this?

 

[anorlunda]

It sounds like you are asking about ordinary refrigeration cycles. Yes there are limits on how cold a refrigerator can cool. Obviously, gas/liquid/solid transitions are critical to the cycle.

Is your question specific to the H20 and the exact temperatures 100C and 0C? Are you thinking of steam/liquid water/ice?