At each stage the level of concentration, or fraction, of each component is increased until the separation is complete. In the natural gas All impurities that might solidify and clog the cryogenic piping is removed from the natural gas in a pretreatment process. After pretreatment, the natural gas components are separated in a process called fractional distillation. Crude helium must be further purified to remove most of the other materials.
This is usually a multi-stage process involving several different separation methods depending on the purity of the crude helium and the intended application of the final product. Helium is distributed either as a gas at normal temperatures or as a liquid at very low temperatures.
Gaseous helium is distributed in forged steel or aluminum alloy cylinders at pressures in the range of , psi MPa or atm. Bulk quantities of liquid helium are distributed in insulated containers with capacities up to about 14, gallons 56, liters.
The Compressed Gas Association establishes grading standards for helium based on the amount and type of impurities present. Commercial helium grades start with grade M, which is Other higher grades include grade N, grade P, and grade G. Grade G is Periodic sampling and analysis of the final product ensures that the standards of purity are being met.
In , the United States government proposed that the government-funded storage program for helium be halted. This has many scientists worried. They point out that helium is essentially a waste product of natural gas processing, and without a government storage facility, most of the helium will simply be vented into the atmosphere, where it will escape into space and be lost forever.
Some scientists predict that if this happens, the known reserves of helium on Earth may be depleted by the year Brady, George S. Clauser, and John A. Materials Handbook, 14th Edition. McGraw-Hill, Heiserman, David L. Exploring Chemical Elements and Their Compounds. TAB Books, Kroschwitz, Jacqueline I. Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 4th edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Stwertka, Albert. A Guide to the Elements. Oxford University Press, Powell, Corey S. View 1 Image. David Szondy. David Szondy is a freelance journalist, playwright, and general scribbler based in Seattle, Washington. A retired field archaeologist and university lecturer, he has a background in the history of science, technology, and medicine with a particular emphasis on aerospace, military, and cybernetic subjects.
In addition, he is the author of a number of websites, four award-winning plays, a novel that has thankfully vanished from history, reviews, scholarly works ranging from industrial archaeology to law, and has worked as a feature writer for several international magazines. He has been a New Atlas contributor since Popular Stories. Load More. Sign in to post a comment.
Please keep comments to less than words. No abusive material or spam will be published. Ent August 23, PM. Future generations will curse us with disgust and hatred, as they find out we've consumed every last drop of frackable oil, and every last bubble of trapped helium. Derek Howe August 24, AM. Alana, did you not read the article? We have a bunch more then we previously thought I wouldn't worry about running out.
As for oil, we have centuries worth of oil, which will obviously last far more then that because that is based off of us continuing to use ICE vehicles. In which the shift has started to EV's. We can even make synthetic oil, so we not short of methods of lubrication.
We are already seeing that in it's infancy now, with Space X making space access cheaper, and companies like Planetary Resources making space mining a reality.
Bottom line, don't worry about humanity's future, were a scrappy bunch. Bob Stuart August 24, AM. We may have to go after those supplies, even after the era of fracking disasters, because we don't have the sense to regulate the venting of helium to obtain natural gas when the market only wants the hydrocarbons. I do hope Derek will head out looking for helium in a cool location soon, though.
Catweazle August 24, AM. Fracking disasters Bob? What fracking disasters? Gas chromatography is one of such applications utilising other gases as a carrier gas instead of helium. Although the choice of carrier gas depends on the contents of the sample, hydrogen gas is one of the main contenders as a substitute for helium.
Having very low viscosity, hydrogen gas can provide the highest mobility rate of all carrier gases, reducing time for sample analysis. Benefits of cost savings is also another factor to be considered when opting for a carrier gas alternative. Hydrogen gas, unlike helium, can be produced on-site through electrolysis of deionized water using a hydrogen generator, providing the purity required for efficient analysis.
As opposed to storing helium or hydrogen gas in cylinders, hydrogen can be accessed on demand with a hydrogen generator, ensuring that the hydrogen gas generated corresponds to the amount required for the application and no excess gas needs to be ordered in advance.
The safety of hydrogen gas is often a concern for researchers looking for a carrier gas alternative. Pressurized gas cylinders — for both hydrogen and helium — can pose a safety threat due to the high volume of gas stored in a hydrogen or helium gas tank.
However, these concerns are mitigated with the low volume of gas stored and the robust safety technology of on-site hydrogen generators. Nowadays, in-house hydrogen generators are equipped with safety detectors which ensure the system is shut down in the event of a leak and risks are reduced to the bare minimum. With growing fears over the scarcity of resources for the extraction of helium gas and a price tag that is set to rise, laboratories are resorting to other options for their choice of carrier gas.
Hydrogen generators are often the top choice for gas chromatography, offering a dependable and safe gas flow. Helium - what is the current cost to labs?
University research labs are struggling to cope with rising helium prices.
0コメント