An Essential, Canadian-Produced, Molecule 🍁
Air Liquide has entered into a long-term agreement with Laurentis Energy Partners, a leader in the clean-energy industry, to produce and distribute helium-3.
Laurentis Energy Partners will extract helium-3 as a by-product of the energy produced by the Darlington power generating station in Ontario. As an expert in gas management and extreme cryogenics, Air Liquide will purify the molecule, then package and distribute it to its customers globally.
One of the Rarest Gases
Helium-3 (3He) is stable, inert, nontoxic and nonflammable. Helium-3 has a wide range of applications. It is an essential molecule for neutron detection, dilution refrigerators, ultra low temperature physics research and aneutronic fusion.
Helium-3 is a light and non radioactive isotope of helium, obtained from the transformation of tritium. At a glance:
Isotopic purity level of 99.8%
Chemical purity level of 99.99%
A Key Component of Dilution Refrigerators
Dilution refrigerators are used by scientists to perform different kinds of experiments such as dark matter research. 3He is used as a cooling power, within the dilution refrigerator, to reach near-absolute-zero temperatures which reduces noise or interference in calculations.
Helium-3 and Quantum Computing
With unique properties, like a boiling temperature of 3.19K (-270°C), helium-3 allows to reach temperatures close to absolute zero that are necessary in quantum computers, allowing them to process exponentially more data compared to classical computers. The promise of quantum computing is accelerated development in many fields including the search for new drugs, the discovery of new materials, and even cyber defense.
Neutron Detection
Neutron detection commonly uses helium-3 as a reactive agent. Neutron detection is used by research in particle physics and science of materials. The most famous use of neutron detection is in security gates to detect radioactive materials and ensure border security.
Aneutronic Fusion
Aneutronic fusion is still at an experimental stage but is meant to be the next generation of power supply, promising to deliver an energy that should be less costly with no long-term nuclear waste. In this process driven by aneutronic reaction schemes, helium-3 is used as a fuel.
Technical Specifications
| Component | Description | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| 3He | Atomic fraction (%) | ≥ 99.800 |
| 4He | Atomic fraction (%) | ≤ 0.200 |
| 3He + 4He | Volume fraction of total helium (helium-3 and helium-4) | ≥ 99.995 |
| N2 | Volume fraction (%) | ≤ 0.0006 |
| CnHm | Volume fraction (%) | ≤ 0.0006 |
| H2 | Volume fraction (%) | ≤ 0.0006 |
| O2+ Ar | Volume fraction (%) | ≤ 0.0006 |
| CO | Volume fraction (%) | ≤ 0.0006 |
| 3H, (tritium) | Volumetric activity (Bq/L) | ≤ 4.8 |
| 3H | Atomic fraction (%) | ≤ 1x 10-11 |
Our Helium-3 Offer
A flexible and seamless solution offering:
Customized logistic solution for a fast delivery
Full logistic handled by Air Liquide
6-8 weeks total lead time
On-demand packaging sizes and volume filled per cylinder
Several sizes of packaging from 0.4 L to 5L
Cylinder Size
| B04 | B1 | B5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Volume | 0.4 L | 1 L | 5 L |
| Maximum Gas Contained | 40 L | 100 L | 500 L |
| Cylinder Material | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Valve Material | Brass | Brass | Brass |
| Valve Type | CGA 580 | CGA 580 | CGA 580 |
| Height | 242 mm | 335 mm | 530 mm |
| Diameter | 60 mm | 81 mm | 140 mm |
| Opening Diameter | 30 mm | 36 mm | 52 mm |
| Certification | TPED+DOT | TPED+DOT | TPED+DOT |
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