Heliox gas is a mixture of oxygen and helium used commonly in deep diving techniques to eliminate nitrogen narcosis. Divers often use gas cylinders to breathe underwater, a method of underwater diving different from breath-hold diving or surface-supplied diving.
In addition, other deep diving gases commonly used include pure oxygen for safe diving at depths of 6 meters, Nitrox mixtures containing more than 21% oxygen and air, breathing air mixtures of 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and about 1% other gases.
Deep diving gases such as Trimix, Hydrox, Neox, or Hydreliox (a mixture of oxygen, helium, and hydrogen) are used for deep dives below 130 meters. Each breathing gas has its own advantages in use, with varying costs, which is the reason for user selection.
In this article, let’s explore heliox gas, a commonly used deep diving breathing gas, with MIGCO.
>>> Mig sells heliox gas cylinders and other diving gas mixtures. Contact us now for a quote: 0937755800
What is the heliox gas breathing mixture?
Heliox gas is a mixture consisting of helium gas and oxygen (O2) used in deep diving techniques to eliminate nitrogen narcosis. The heliox breathing mixture can currently be used with a ratio of 21% O2 and 79% He, also known as heliox 80/20.
It can also be used with gas mixing ratios of 70/30 or 60/40, depending on the specific case for medical use or deep diving.
The main reason for adding helium to the deep diving gas mixture is to reduce the proportions of nitrogen and oxygen to lower levels than in air, making the gas mixture safe to breathe at deep depths.
Reducing the proportion of nitrogen in the scuba tank breathing mixture is essential to lessen the effects of nitrogen and other gases at underwater depths. Helium rarely causes narcosis, and the low oxygen percentage reduces the risk of oxygen toxicity for the user during deep dives.
This is also easily understood because heliox gas creates less air resistance when it passes through the diver’s airways, so the user does not need to exert effort or expend much mechanical energy for air to enter and leave the lungs normally.
Furthermore, due to its low gas density, the Heliox 80/20 mixture is used in saturation diving and sometimes in the deep phases of technical diving.
Advantages of using heliox gas for deep diving
Today, after research on its benefits, heliox gas is used to fill metal scuba tanks or breathing tanks to provide breathing air. This allows you to breathe underwater at certain depths for a safe duration.
Currently, there are many tank sizes with different pressure ratings. Typically, this heliox breathing gas mixture is also measured in kilograms or liters. The three common volume sizes are 8, 10, and 12 liters.
You can calculate and choose the types of breathing gas cylinders that suit your needs. In some diving situations, divers need 2 cylinders to combine and increase the gas supply for longer dives.
The application of heliox gas in deep diving is due to the cost-effectiveness of helium and the fact that it saves breathing gas and energy at depth better than open-circuit compressed air cylinders.
The oxygen percentage in the heliox deep diving gas mixture depends on the maximum depth in your dive plan, but it is usually hypoxic and often 10% or 20%.
Each of these deep diving gas mixtures is custom-made using gas blending techniques with a booster pump to achieve a typical scuba cylinder pressure of 200 bar (2,900 psi).
Trimix is currently a cost-effective alternative breathing gas solution to heliox for deep diving. Trimix is commonly used in commercial diving or technical diving.
However, in 2015, the US Navy Experimental Diving Unit conducted tests and concluded that decompression from deep dives using trimix breathing gas is not more effective than diving using heliox.
The above is basic information about the Heliox gas breathing mixture. In addition to its application in deep diving, it is also used in medicine to treat diseases or during surgery.
If you need to learn more about this product or place an order, please contact MIGCO.
