When my dad was in Boy Scouts, he dived some helium mix with navy divers in a pool and he got sick after

[nadwidny]

Maybe BC and NFL ae trying to kill curious kids?

Don't know, don't care. Just trying to dispel the myth that all balloon grade helium has O2 in it. Even one of my gas supply guys stated that as fact until I showed him the analysis. He said he "heard it from some guy" and believed it. As are most myths that are perpetuated without a basis in reality.

My other gas supply guy was more realistic. He said that because as far as he knew, the balloon grade cylinders weren't vacuumed before filling, so the company has no idea on how long a particular cylinder may have been sitting in a farmer's field with the valve open before it was sent back. A very good point and that's why if I have to take balloon grade I send a sample to the lab before using it.

 

[rjack321]

In my part of the world "balloon grade" does not exist. There is no mixed helium oxygen intended to keep anyone safe. You either buy the full happy meal helium or you get none at all. We have industrial, USP, and a couple of six 9s and up lab grades

 

[Tracy]

In my part of the world "balloon grade" does not exist. There is no mixed helium oxygen intended to keep anyone safe. You either buy the full happy meal helium or you get none at all. We have industrial, USP, and a couple of six 9s and up lab grades

Did you mean USP or was that supposed to be UHP?
I haven't seen prescription helium locally. It probably does exist, just never ran across it.

 

[rjack321]

Did you mean USP or was that supposed to be UHP?
I haven't seen prescription helium locally. It probably does exist, just never ran across it.

Yeah USP is "medical grade" (and not that high quality honestly) and its offered at my supplier and others locally.

UHP is 6 nines I believe. That's one of several lab grades available depending on the supplier.

 

[Tracy]

Yeah USP is "medical grade" (and not that high quality honestly) and its offered at my supplier and others locally.

UHP is 6 nines I believe. That's one of several lab grades available depending on the supplier.

UHP is 5 nines. Industrial is 4.
Curious what medical requirements are. I would guess relatively low much like USP O2.

 

[chaseyerkey]

It’s pretty funny how this turned into people arguing about balloons

 

[chaseyerkey]

Wow. You joined SB at 2:13am today so that twelve minutes later you could post this as your first post? Has this been weighing so heavily on your mind that you just couldn't wait to tell us about it?

I used to have an account, but I can’t figure out the login so I just made a new one. It brought it back into my memory when I was watching a video about Trimix. And then I just started thinking about it and decided to make a post

 

[chaseyerkey]

If that's the worst trauma he got from the boy scouts he's doing good.

Who said anything about trauma. funny joke, though

 

[chaseyerkey]

Helium sold for balloons has enough O2 in it to sustain life. Irrelevant side-issue.
The OP is posting hearsay on a 4 decade old memory....
Nothing to see here. Move along.

Just asking for theories, not for people to be a jerk

 

[chaseyerkey]

"Boy, I miss the days they made toys that could kill a kid."

-- Jerry Seinfeld

Best quote of the year