Supply issues you've experienced

[rajncajn]

I saw a news report a week or so ago saying there was a shortage of the Co2 needed to carbonate drinks,  most specifically, beer. 

 

Then,  last week I was buying flowers for our anniversary and the florist told me they couldn't do balloons because there's a helium shortage. 

[Bobby Brown]

1 hour ago, rajncajn said:

I saw a news report a week or so ago saying there was a shortage of the Co2 needed to carbonate drinks,  most specifically, beer. 

 

Then,  last week I was buying flowers for our anniversary and the florist told me they couldn't do balloons because there's a helium shortage. 

Helium shortages happen all the time. I use high grade helium for tracer gas when sampling soil gas and it's always a concern.  Sometimes sales are limited to the medical industry.

[gilthorp]

Crap. Now it's helium with this guy Biden. He has to go.

[Bobby Brown]

1 hour ago, gilthorp said:

Crap. Now it's helium with this guy Biden. He has to go.

For anyone interested it's actually pretty cool.  We sample soil gas for hazardous gases and put an enclosed shroud over the sampling point. Take quantitative field readings of helium inside the shroud with highly calibrated field instruments and send the sample in for toxic gases and helium to an analytical laboratory.  Then we calculate how much how much ambient air vs pure soil gas is in the sample for quality assurance.  All to protect human health.

Helium doesn't occur naturally in the shallow subsurface but sometimes methane does...and methane can give the field meters a false helium reading, but that is ultimately vetted by the analytical lab results and field methane readings. 

Did I lose anyone's interest?

 

[rajncajn]

10 minutes ago, Bobby Brown said:

For anyone interested it's actually pretty cool.  We sample soil gas for hazardous gases and put an enclosed shroud over the sampling point. Take quantitative field readings of helium inside the shroud with highly calibrated field instruments and send the sample in for toxic gases and helium to an analytical laboratory.  Then we calculate how much how much ambient air vs pure soil gas is in the sample for quality assurance.  All to protect human health.

Helium doesn't occur naturally in the shallow subsurface but sometimes methane does...and methane can give the field meters a false helium reading, but that is ultimately vetted by the analytical lab results and field methane readings. 

Did I lose anyone's interest?

Actually enjoy hearing anyone who has that kind of interest in their own profession. 

[Bobby Brown]

26 minutes ago, rajncajn said:

Actually enjoy hearing anyone who has that kind of interest in their own profession. 

Thanks. When the idea was introduced 10 or so years ago, it was new.  People were using clear storage containers (like a box from Wal Mart you store stuff in) for the helium shroud. Mass volumes of helium were displaced into the shroud over 20 minutes to 60 minutes of purging and sampling time. It's a low air flow process when pulling samples from the subsurface (200 ml/min to get a representative sample that doesn't 'strip' volatile contamination into the sample container).  

I kind of 'pioneered' the idea of using a simple process of utilizing clear thick visqueen with a heavy chain for the shroud.  It's the standard these days for those in the know.  It allows for a steadier and more consistent volume of helium during the sampling process. And, a substantially smaller volume of high grade helium needed for sampling.

Alas, I was not able to patent the chain and visqueen idea.  But shared it with the larger scientific community to limit helium usage and better quantity ambient air intrusion into samples.  Some folks have patented their own 'systems' with little success. The zip tie duct tape method of chain and visqueen  works very well.

[gilthorp]

I hope you don't mind, but I am reading your posts as if you just ingested the contents of a party balloon.

[stevegrab]

2 hours ago, gilthorp said:

I hope you don't mind, but I am reading your posts as if you just ingested the contents of a party balloon.

HIGH larious 

[rajncajn]

Clever spam attempt. I'll give you props on that one. I almost didn't notice the post you quoted was much longer than the original. Unfortunately for you,  I actually re-read what is being quoted from me so that I can respond with full context. Let me be the first to welcome you to the banned list.

 

Oh and sorry, but not interested in moving to Beirut.

Edited May 5, 2023 by rajncajn

[Big John]

17 minutes ago, rajncajn said:

Clever spam attempt. I'll give you props on that one. I almost didn't notice the post you quoted was much longer than the original. Unfortunately for you,  I actually re-read what is being quoted from me so that I can respond with full context. Let me be the first to welcome you to the banned list.

 

Oh and sorry, but not interested in moving to Beirut.

Spammer zapped 

[FinishTheDrill]

On 10/1/2022 at 6:07 PM, rajncajn said:

I saw a news report a week or so ago saying there was a shortage of the Co2 needed to carbonate drinks,  most specifically, beer. 

 

Good.  Why should anyone be able to use and release that pollutant simply for enjoyment?  Consider the worlds climate for crying out loud.  And while we are at it, no one really needs beer, just take edibles.   All beer should be replaced with non carbonated soy - CDB blends by 2030.