Measures and Proposals to Reduce Helium Gas Consumption (GC)
Determine countermeasures for helium gas consumption
Review the following three steps to determine if helium gas consumption can be reduced.
STEP 1. Check if your system is compatible with alternative carrier gases
Check the carrier gas compatibility table below to see if your system is compatible.
*1. Pretreatment equipment, GC/GCMS main unit, and detector must all be compatible with the alternative carriers.
*2. Information on whether alternative carrier gases are applicable for each device is current as of August 31, 2022.
1. Common pretreatment equipment for GC and GCMS
| Pretreatment equipment | He | H2 | N2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AOC-30/20, AOC-6000/5000 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| HS-20 Series, HS-10 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| TD-30 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| TD-20 | ✓ | ｰ | ✓ |
| PT7000 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aqua PT6000 | ✓ | ｰ | ✓ |
| PY-3030D/PY-2020iD | ✓ | ｰ | ✓ |
| Non-used | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
The main unit differs between GC and GCMS. Please select from the links below.
2. GC
3. Detector
4. GCMS
| GCMS | He | H2 | N2 | N2 (Waiting) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCMS-QP5050A | ✓ | ｰ | ｰ | ｰ |
| GCMS-QP2010 | ✓ | ✓ | ｰ | ✓ |
| GCMS-QP2010 Plus | ✓ | ✓ | ｰ | ✓ |
| GCMS-QP2010 Ultra | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| GCMS-QP2010 SE | ✓ | ｰ | ｰ | ✓ |
| GCMS-QP2020 Series | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| GCMS-TQ Series | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
STEP 3. Check the merits and demerits
Each gas has advantages and disadvantages. Please check the table below for details.
Please note that the degree of influence of the carrier gas type varies depending on the actual application.
| He | H2 | N2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity | GC Compared to He, the change in sensitivity of each detector is different. For FIDs, the change in sensitivity is small. Occasionally reacts with measurement compounds due to its reducing nature GCMS About 1/3 to 1/5 compared to He |
GC Compared to He, the sensitivity change of each detector is different. For the FIDs, the change in sensitivity is small. However, a TCD desensitizes rapidly GCMS High noise level, about 1/10 compared to He |
|
| Resolution | High-speed analysis is possible Separation characteristics similar to He |
Requires long analysis time for better degree of separation | |
| Price | Increasing prices and prolonged delivery time | Affordable and stable No need to manage cylinders if a hydrogen generator is installed |
Relatively cheap and stable |
| Safety | Non-explosive inert gas | Flammable (explosive) gas Safety considerations such as appropriate exhaust ventilation and H2 leakage control are necessary |
Non-explosive and safe |
| Column | GC Supports up to 0.53 mm dia column Compatible with packed columns GCMS Supports up to 0.53 mm dia column |
GC Supports up to 0.53 mm dia column Compatible with packed columns GCMS 0.18 mm dia column or less is good |
GC Supports up to 0.53 mm dia column Compatible with packed columns GCMS 0.18 mm dia column or less is good |