What is Liquid Helium?
Liquid Helium is non-corrosive, odorless, colorless, inert,
inflammable, and extremely cold. Helium does not react with other elements
under ordinary conditions. As helium is non-corrosive, special construction
materials are not required. However, construction materials should only be used
if they are suitable to be used with the extremely low temperatures of liquid helium. Vessels and pipings must be designed and selected to withstand the
temperature and pressure that is involved and comply with applicable codes for
use and transport.
As liquid helium has an extremely low temperature, it is used to
maintain the properties of a super-strong magnet in applications like NMR, MRI,
particle physics research, and spectroscopy. The most common use of liquid
helium is that it acts as an inert shielding gas in laser welding and metal
arc. It gives a protective atmosphere in the production of reactive
metals.
What are the health effects of liquid helium?
Liquid HE is tasteless, colorless, odorless and non-irritating
therefore it has no warning properties. Human beings do not have the sense to
identify the presence of helium in the atmosphere. Though helium is inert and
non-toxic, it might act as an asphyxiant by eliminating the oxygen from the
air. It can cause the oxygen level to reduce to the level below than what is
required to support life. When inhaled in excessive amounts, helium can cause
vomiting, nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and in some cases death
also. Death can be the result of confusion, loss of consciousness, or errors in
judgment that do not let the person rescue. A low concentration of oxygen
causes death within seconds and without warning. People should not enter in an
area having oxygen concentration levels less than 19.5% unless they are
provided with a self-contained breathing apparatus or air-line respirator.
Liquid Helium is becoming a precious commodity and many users of
this are now trying to recycle their helium and reuse it in their process in a
closed loop. MVS, in partnership with world leaders in this field – Cryomech,
USA, offer liquid helium recovery and recycling systems which can save our
customers tremendously in the long run.
If you are the user of liquid helium and need any help, contact
the MVS Engineering team. Simply log on to www.mvsengg.com and fill the inquiry form.
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