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Despite what you may be thinking, it’s not so that helium producers can make a bigger profit. The majority of helium that is supplied to helium customers is actually Grade 5 helium, which is often a higher grade than is needed, particularly in the balloon industry. Why lower grades of helium can cost more than higher grades In fact, in many cases, it may be Grade 5 helium. Grade 4 (4.0 helium and lower = 99.99% purity)Īny helium that is 99.99% and down into the high 80 percents is within the range of purities referred to collectively as “ balloon grade helium.” While Grade 4 helium is used mostly for balloons (although the mid-high 90 percent heliums could be used in leak detection, air bags, and heat transfer applications as well), that doesn’t necessarily mean that higher grades of helium aren’t used in balloons. Often the grade most commonly referred to when people say “ industrial grade,” 99.995% helium is most commonly used in the balloon industry, but is also used as a push gas in MRI applications. Grade 4.6 industrial helium is used for weather balloons, blimps, in leak detection, as a shielding gas for welding, a coolant in rockets and medical applications, and as a carrier gas in the analysis of residues. ?Ī “Grade-A” industrial helium, 99.997% helium is mostly used in cryogenic applications and for pressurizing and purging, but is also used as a control atmosphere in manufacturing, as a cover gas during welding, in breathing mixtures for divers, and leak detection. The highest of the “industrial grade” heliums, 4.8 grade helium is often used by the military. This high purity grade helium is also widely used for gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and specific laboratory research when higher purity gases are not necessary, as well as for weather balloons and blimps. Like 6.0 helium, 5.5 ultra pure helium gas is typically considered “research grade,” also used in chromatography and semiconductor processing, as well as lab research, MRIs, as a shielding gas in welding, a cooling gas for fiber optics, and other industries that require a fine purity helium gas. It’s also used in laboratories for scientific research, laser cutting, MRI machines, and as a carrier gas in gas chromatography. The closest to 100% pure helium, 6.0 helium is used in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips – the tiny wafers that pack the power behind your smart phones, computers, tablets, televisions, and more. Each variation will always contain the same grade purity, but it’s the impurities, things like argon, carbon dioxide, neon, nitrogen, oxygen, and even water, that will have a different composition. Note that within each of the different grades of helium, there can be even further variations within each grade, depending on your helium supplier and your specific need. Now that we have the grading down, let’s look into the different grades of helium and what they’re primarily used for. Need industrial grade helium? Get a free, fast quote here.Īn overview of the different common grades of helium So, 4.7 grade helium = four 9s and a 7, or 99.997%.
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The second number ( after the decimal point) represents the number after the last 9.
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The first number in the grade ( before the decimal point) is always equal to the number of 9’s in the purity. The easiest way to remember what the purity of any grade of helium is, is to simply look at the grade itself. Without getting too nerdy about it, let’s break down some of the most common grades of helium.īefore we get into the different grades of helium, let’s talk about the grading system itself, which is really quite simple. The point is, different grades of helium are needed for many of these different applications and industries. Helium is needed for welding, microscopes, airbags, ship inspection, computers, TVs, smart phones, MRIs, blimps, space exploration, diving, meterology, scientific research, the Internet… the list goes on and on. Helium is a little more complex than most people think-it’s not just for party balloons. Helium has many uses, from cooling MRI machines to finding leaks in ships, but there are many different grades of helium.