WHO ARE WE?
Lancaster Helium Ltd is a spin-out company of Lancaster University. It supplies the isotopically pure He-4 gas needed for a diversity of applications including -
- Coolant gas in a nuclear reactor
- The down-scattering medium for ultra-cold neutron (UCN) production
- Measurement of the Landau critical velocity
- Experiments on quantum turbulence
- Cyclotron resonance of ions below the superfluid surface
- Production of excited helium molecules (long-lived excimers)
- Ultra-low-temperature experiments on solid He-4
The gas has many other possible uses.
METHOD OF ISOTOPIC SEPARATION
Isotopic separation is effected by heat flush in liquid helium below its superfluid transition temperature at 2.17 K.
The small 1976 prototype batch-processing isotopic purifier is illustrated schematically. The present continuous-flow purifier is shown on the HOME page. For details see the OUR TEAM page.
The He-4 isotopic purity achieved within the present machine is believed to be perfect. Thus, any He-3 in the product must arise from subsequent contamination, e.g. by the compressor or pipework or containers. The gas may contain traces of air, water and oil vapour but isotopically it is of extremely high purity.
