(VNE-80/He) has achieved excellent test results in multiple organizations including Inner Mongolia Sentai Natural Gas Co., Ltd. The helium purity meets national standards for high-purity helium requirements and satisfies 6N electronic-grade specifications (see Figure 2). Compared to conventional cryogenic neon removal technology, our company's developed neon removal helium purification equipment features lower initial investment and operational costs, significantly reducing users' upfront capital expenditure and long-term usage expenses.
Helium generation originates from prolonged crustal movements, and neon, as a member of the same group as helium, also forms and accumulates. Due to neon's low boiling point (27K), it tends to concentrate during helium recovery processes such as BOG helium extraction. Unlike reactive gases like hydrogen, neon is inert and cannot be removed through reactions with other substances, making it a persistent challenge in helium production that severely affects product quality (GB 4844-2011 requires high-purity helium to contain ≤4PPM neon).
Common methods for neon removal from helium streams include ultra-low-temperature freezing, distillation, and cryogenic adsorption. Among these, freezing and distillation require ultra-low temperatures below neon's boiling point, while cryogenic adsorption demands environments <60K. Higher demands for low-temperature conditions lead to increased equipment manufacturing costs and neon removal expenses, significantly hindering the development of high-purity helium purification technologies and equipment.
Different from conventional neon removal methods, Anhui Zhongke Wanneng Technology Co., Ltd. has developed the CZ-200-80.2B molecular sieve specifically for neon removal from helium, based on years of research. This sieve exhibits strong adsorption capacity for neon across medium-low pressure ranges and from normal to cryogenic temperatures, particularly under conditions with neon partial pressure <50Pa. Leveraging this innovation, the company created China's first neon removal purification system (VNE-80/He) tailored for BOG helium extraction in liquid nitrogen temperature ranges.
Tests conducted at Inner Mongolia Sentai Natural Gas Co., Ltd. and other facilities yielded excellent results, with helium purity meeting national standards for high-purity helium and achieving 6N electronic-grade requirements (see Figure 2). Compared to conventional ultra-low-temperature neon removal technologies, our purification system significantly reduces both initial investment and operational costs, offering substantial savings for users.
Figure 1. On-site usage photo of neon purification device
Figure 2. Adsorption curves of the neon removal purifier for various impurities
Simultaneously, the CZ-200-80.2B molecular sieve demonstrates surprisingly strong adsorption capacity for high-pressure neon gas in the normal refrigeration temperature range. Tests have confirmed its ability to achieve one-step adsorption and removal of 3500 PPM neon impurities from helium gas streams, further validating its *** adsorption performance for neon. When integrated with our company's high-low temperature cyclic helium purification system, it can meet the neon removal requirements in the normal refrigeration temperature range without liquid nitrogen. This is particularly suitable for scenarios such as factories and laboratories where liquid nitrogen is unavailable, significantly reducing operational costs.
Figure 3. GC Results of High-Pressure Neon Removal Experiment
The successful development of this molecular sieve and neon-removing helium purification equipment represents the culmination of years of R&D efforts by our company and marks significant progress in China's high-purity helium production. It signifies the increasing maturity of our neon-helium separation technology and equipment in both research and application, laying a solid foundation for market development in areas such as natural gas helium extraction and helium-neon separation from air separation tail gas.
Please stay tuned for updates on the development of our high-purity neon purification equipment with helium removal.