hjelpegas

Hjelpegas is a Norwegian term that translates directly to "help gas." It generally refers to any gas used in a technical or industrial process to assist in achieving a specific outcome, rather than being the primary reactant or the final product. This can encompass a wide range of applications.

In welding, for instance, hjelpegas is the shielding gas used to protect the molten weld pool from atmospheric contamination. Gases like argon, helium, or mixtures of these with carbon dioxide are common examples. Without this hjelpegas, the weld would be weak and porous. In industrial furnaces, a hjelpegas might be introduced to control the atmosphere, perhaps to prevent oxidation of heated materials or to facilitate a particular chemical reaction.

Another context for hjelpegas is in the field of cryogenics, where certain gases, like liquid nitrogen or helium, are used to cool down other substances or equipment to very low temperatures. Their role is to provide the necessary cooling capacity. In some chemical processes, a gas might be added in small quantities to promote or catalyze a reaction, acting as a promoter gas rather than a direct participant. The defining characteristic of hjelpegas is its supportive function within a larger process.