Because light helium group gases (such as helium and neon) have little or no anesthetic ability to human body, they can be used to replace nitrogen to prepare breathing mixture for deep-sea operation of divers. Because of the lower density and viscosity of neon oxygen or helium oxygen respiratory mixture, the pressure is easy to release and the respiratory resistance is reduced, which can effectively reduce the physical consumption of divers. For the industrial gas helium oxygen breathing mixture, due to the high sound speed and the large change of sound frequency, there is a deep-water communication problem.

In addition to helium, industrial gas neon can also be used to prepare breathing mixture for deep water operation. Usually, when divers are working in deep water and high pressure environment, if ordinary compressed air is used for oxygen supply, not only the respiratory resistance is high, but also the industrial gas nitrogen in the compressed air will be partially dissolved in the blood. When the water depth is below 40m, it will produce significant anesthetic effect. At 80m, the physiological function will be basically lost, and the human body will fail.

Neon is used as breathing gas for deep sea diving

Moreover, the high steering rate of industrial gas helium increases the heat loss rate of human body, so that it is often necessary to use effective diving suit and breathing gas preheater. In this respect, neon oxygen breathing mixture is better than helium oxygen breathing mixture, because it has the advantages of small sound distortion and poor heat transfer. The industrial gas neon oxygen breathing mixture is suitable for 100-300m deep water operation. When it exceeds 300m, the density of industrial gas neon increases, so helium oxygen breathing mixture must be used. Helium oxygen exhalation has been successfully used in deep-sea diving. No matter how deep or shallow the water is, helium oxygen mixture, an industrial gas, is widely used. In order to overcome their shortcomings, the possibility of using industrial gases neon, helium and oxygen in different proportions to prepare deep-sea diving breathing gas is being studied.