Helium costs

[Rick Murchison]

There's some good background info at this site
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/HH/doh2.html
Rick

 

[Ray2]

Hello everyone' I'm new to the board and this is my first post, so please be easy on me. This one is right up my alley as I work for a large welding supply dist and helium is a big part of the business.Helium prices range from approx 20.00 to 80.00 per cyl. of industrial grade depending on the quantity you purchase.There has been an increase in prices in the 5% range with a surchargeof $1.45 per 100 cf no where near 100%.Every couple of years there is a shortage scare which is industry generated,the supply and demand principle.The same thing happens with Argon.Has anyone considered using industrial grade?I know of one shop that does,with filters.Here are some specs. on helium, Ind grade 99.995%,HP grade 99.997% and UHP grade is 99.999 these are minimum purity.$45.00 for UHP He is a good price though you must consider rent or lease price if you dont own your own cylinders and yes you can purchase them but they have to be ordered from the factory,most Welding supply dist.will not tell you this.As for Lox it is the same as High pressure,it is pumped from the same storage tank so purity should not be a problem.One advantage would be ease of handling but there is an evaporation rate of 1% to 3% per day depending on the condition of the cylinder.I hope this helps.
Ray

 

[Ray2]

I forgot to address cyl. size
T=291 cf cyl
h=219 cf cyl, M=125 cf
We sell by the cf only medical gas cyl normally carry a letter designator,ie T,H,K,M,G but not all the time.Specialty gas such as the UHP Helium are sold as each.

 

[Uncle Pug]

And thanks for the information Ray! It will be great to have a gas guy on board

We already have some gaseous guys.

 

[roakey]

Ray2,

My understanding is that the common gasses (O2, N2 and Ar) are separated by fractional distillation, not by molecular sieve, is this correct?

Roak

 

[DocRCH]

I was repeating what I had learned from a friend who is in sales for one of the 5 largest gas producers in the world (sometimes I feel that way after certain foods). For what is worth, his company intends to raise prices by 100% sometime in the next few months. It will be interesting to see if this is accurate. From what I understand He is not obtained from fractional distillation of air, it is produced in just a few areas in the world.

Robert:doctor:

 

[roakey]

DocRCH once bubbled...
From what I understand He is not obtained from fractional distillation of air, it is produced in just a few areas in the world.

Correct, it's mined.

Roak

 

[Ray2]

Roakey,
Fractional distillation 'I belive is a process that is used in the Oil industry and it involves heating, in this case crude oil, and collecting the different chemicals as they reach a certain temp.but Im pretty sure this process can be used different applications.The Molecular Sieves are not used to separate the common gases,the main use for them is removal of mosture ,Co2, Hydrocarbons and quite a few other elements, its a purifier.Air separation or reduction plants are where we produce O2,N2 and Ar,the process starts by pulling air from the atmosphere down a vertical stack using the venturi effect
the gas separates as it reaches the right temp, very cold ,smiley face here.It then goes to storage tank for distribution.Keep in mind this is a very basic description of the process.
Ray

 

[roakey]

Ray2 once bubbled...
where we produce O2,N2 and Ar,the process starts by pulling air from the atmosphere down a vertical stack using the venturi effect the gas separates as it reaches the right temp, very cold ,smiley face here.

That's fractional distillation. We're just talking about things that vaporize at very, very low tempratures, where Kelvin is a better unit of measurement

Roak

 

[Ray2]

Roakey,
Helium is found in natural gas deposits probably at the top of the well for obvious reasons.There is a big one in Texas owned by the government and I think Russia has a large supply also.