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elium has unique properties that make it valuable foruse in a wide range of applications. For example, itsproperties make possible faster cooling rates, whichhas led to adoption of helium in vacuum quenching

technology, enabling many heat treaters to remain competitive andgrow their business.

However, helium is a finite resource. Because of a delicate bal-ance between helium availability and increasing demand, it isimperative that the helium-producing industry work with helium

end users to conserve, recover and recycle this resource.Technology for recovering and recyling helium developed by AirProducts offers heat treaters an opportunity to significantlyreduce costs.

Helium gas quench benefitsVacuum furnace gas quenching using helium can result in higherproduction rates, improved metallurgical properties, and canreduce overall process costs. Lower heat-transfer properties ofargon and nitrogen can require expensive furnace modifications,higher quench pressure and increased blower speeds to achievethe same cooling rates achieved using helium.

Heliums heat transfer coefficient is 60% greater than that ofnitrogen at the same pressure. Also, helium is less dense thannitrogen or argon, which makes it easier to move in the furnace.Furnace fans need less power to circulate helium, therefore,increasing fan speed or pressure becomes a cost-effective practicein accelerating cooling. Additional benefits of helium gasquenching include:

Like argon, helium is inert and will not react with componentsbeing treated. Nitrogen is considered inert in most cases, but canform nitrides in certain materials.

Parts clean up is minimal compared with oil quenching. Helium quenching can open new markets for heat-treating

processes that may be limited by conventional gas quenching.For example, heavier loads or parts with thicker cross sectionscan be quenched at a faster rate.

Why recover and recycle helium?Helium is a finite, nonrenewable resource that can be extractedfrom only a few natural gas fields around the globe (Fig. 1). TheU.S. alone consumes more than half of the worlds supply (Fig. 2).U.S. helium consumption, estimated to be 2.9 billion ft3, is used invarious applications in addition to heat treating applications,including cryogenic applications, pressurizing and purging, weld-ing, leak detection, breathing mixtures and other applications (Fig.3 and Table 1).

According to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM),helium used in the U.S. in large-volume applications is seldom recy-cled, and helium demand will continue growing at a rate of about 5%in 2004 and into 2005. As the worlds leading producer and supplier

Because helium resources are limited, the economics of installinga helium recycle system becomes increasingly attractive.

Air Products helium manufacturing plant in Liberal, Kans.

Helium Recovery and Recycling MakesGood Business Sense

Industrial Gases/Combustion

Donald J. Bowe, Air Products & Chemicals Inc., Allentown, Pa.

Industrial Gases/Combustion

of helium, Air Products aims to help heattreaters lower their operating costs whileprotecting and conserving this valuableresource through the use of recycle andrecovery technologies.

Because process requirements differ,many factors need to be taken into accountwhen deciding on the most cost-effectivehelium recycle system. These include over-all consumption, process helium-purityrequirements, helium pressure and flowrate, number of furnaces, backfill pressure,off gas, impurity levels and types of impuri-ties. Companies specializing in helium sup-ply systems should assist in the evaluationof possible solutions. Air Products experi-ence shows that heat treaters can reducetheir helium costs by about one-third bymeans of recovery and/or recycling.

There are other advantages as well: Recovery and recycle systems are easily

installed and integrated into the manu-facturing process

Total supply reliability is maintainedbecause bulk helium still is available as abackup when maintenance is performedon the recycle system

Recovery reduces vulnerability to short-ages and possible supply disruptions

Conserving natural resources makesgood business sense

Recycle-system designThree main functions in a helium recoverysystem are gas capture from the waste heliumstream, purification and returning recoveredgas back into the process. Capturing the wastehelium stream in closed systems like vacuumfurnaces lends itself to efficient recovery; thegas is directed into the recycle system insteadof venting it to the atmosphere.

The second step is purification. Mostapplications have stringent purity specifi-cations and require that the recovered heli-um meet original product purity specifica-tions. The choice of which purification

technology to use depends on the purityrequirements of the particular process andthe type of contamination in the wastestream. Typical purification techniquesinclude pressure swing adsorption, mem-brane, and cryogenic technologies.

The third step involves compressing andreturning the recovered and purified heli-um back into the process. This presents thegreatest economic challenge due to thehigh cost of gas compression.

Air Products has addressed these chal-lenges and developed recycle systems foruse in vacuum furnaces as well as otherapplications, such as fiber optics, plasmafurnaces and air ships. Typical systems cansave about a third on the cost of virginhelium. The payback for implementingsuch a system can be about six months,depending on individual process variables.

Figure 4 shows the component details ofa typical system. A low-pressure blowerquickly removes the backfill gas from thefurnace and delivers it into the low-pres-sure storage vessel. This is a critical com-ponent because the helium must beremoved as quickly as possible so furnacetime is not wasted. A compressor transfersrecovered helium to the purification unit,and recovered helium is analyzed for impu-rities. At the very least, the gas must beanalyzed for trace oxygen and dew point.After the helium purity is verified, the gasis transferred to a high-pressure storage ves-sel and is ready for reuse. Virgin helium andrecycled helium are typically stored inde-pendently. There always is a virgin heliumsupply for backup.

Because every heat treaters require-ments for helium recovery and recyclingare different, Air Products can customizethe most effective system taking into con-sideration purity requirements of the spe-

80 September 2004 IndustrialHeating.com

Fig 1 Helium can be extracted from only a few natural gas fields around the world. The rich-est field is in the state of Utah in the U.S.

Fig 2 The U.S. alone consumes more than half of the worlds supplyof helium (2002)

Fig 3 Helium use in various applications

Helium Producing

Non-Helium Producing NorthSea

East HanoverField

Salzwedel, GermanyOdolanow,Poland Orenburg, Russia

Irkutsk, Russia

Sichuan,China

MereenieField,

NorthernTerritoryWoodada Field,Australia

NorthField,Qatar

Hassi RMelField, Algeria

Japan 9% Asia 7% ROW 4%

Europe 21% United States56%

Analytical6%

MetalAtmospheres

3%

SpaceProgram 4%

Semiconductor5%

LeakDetection 6%

Diving 2% Other 10%

Fiber Optics7%

Welding12%

Balloons &Airships 16%

Superconductors incld. MRI 29%

Hugoton/Panhandle

Fields

SoutheastColorado

Four CornersArea

Moab,Utah

Riley Ridge,Wyoming

British Columbia/Alberta, Canada

cific process, operating pressures, flow ratesand overall use. Every system is designed totake up a minimal amount of floor space,and can be easily retrofitted to existing fur-naces or expanded to accommodate addi-tional furnaces.

Recovery and recycle systems are easilyintegrated into an existing operation seam-lessly with little impact on the operationand can increase supply reliability.

ConclusionHelium recovery and recycling make sensefor heat treaters. Because helium suppliesremain fixed, the economics of installingrecycle systems become increasinglyattractive. Many factors need to be takeninto account in deciding the most effectivehelium recycle solution for a given situa-tion. The economics of recycling improvewith increased volume use. Heat treatersneed to be aware that using a helium recy-

cle unit can not only lower costs and pro-tect an important resource, but can alsoopen the door to other applications andopportunities. IH

For more information: Don Bowe is aSenior Principal Development Engineer inCommercial Technology Atmospheres, AirProducts and Chemicals Inc., 7201Hamilton Blvd., Allentown, PA 18195-1501;tel: 800-654-4567 (code 189); fax: 800-272-4449; e-mail: gigmrktg@airproducts.com;Web: www.airproducts.com/metals.

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Additional related information may befound by searching these (and other)key words/terms via BNP Media LINXat www.industrialheating.com: heliumgas quenching, helium recovery, heli-um recycling, high pressure gasquenching, vacuum furnace heattreating, pressure swing adsorption.

Fig 4 Schematic of typical helium recovery and recycling system

PI

Tube trailer connection Blower

Low-pressurestorage

APCI skid

CustomerVirgin surge vessel

Recycle surge vessel

Analysis Purification High-pressure storage

Compressor

Furnace B

Furnace A