INFICON Leak Testing with Tracer Gas

H2 Advantanges

Hydrogen gas has a number of unique properties which make it an excellent tracer gas for use in leak detection and testing:

• The lightest of all molecules
• Lowest viscosity of all gases (easy to fill, evacuate and dissipate)
• Low background (0.5 ppm)
• Environmentally friendly and renewable - ISO 14001
• Inexpensive
• Non flammable (when diluted 5% in Nitrogen) - ISO 10156
• Non toxic - non corrosive

Pure hydrogen should never be used as a tracer gas. We recommend a standard industrial grade mix of 5% hydrogen in nitrogen. This mix is inexpensive, non- flammable, easily available and still holds the important features needed for using hydrogen as tracer gas. Below you will find some facts about hydrogen and diluted hydrogen as tracer gas.

• Hydrogen gas has the lowest viscosity
• Hydrogen spreads quick in a given volume because of its high molecular velocity
• It finds and passes through a leak fast
• It is easy to flush out and vent away

The Hydrogen Method...

• Can locate leaks of variable sizes without delay
• Is independent of variations in temperature
• Is perfect for testing soft objects.
• Is independent of size of test objects' internal volume
• Has a high sensitivity (Pressure Decay from 10E-2 ml/s. Hydrogen Method from 1x10E-7 ml/s.)
• Can be fully automated

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