============================================================ TITLE: Helium to Hydrogen Conversion for GC: What's Really Holding Labs Back TYPE: blog VERSION: 1 VERSION_ID: 76a918dd-39b7-46e2-a85a-4e397063534e GENERATED_AT: 2026-10-16T17:08:44.991Z SUMMARY: Claind Sales Director Nazzareno Irrera explains why helium supply risk — not cost — is now driving labs to hydrogen, and what really holds conversions back AUTHOR: David Oliva DATE PUBLISHED: October 5, 2026 DATE MODIFIED: October 5, 2026 READING TIME: 12 min WORD COUNT: 2397 KEYWORDS: Helium to Hydrogen Conversion for GC, What's Really Holding Labs Back SOURCE URL: https://blog.organomation.com/blog/helium-to-hydrogen-conversion-for-gc-whats-really-holding-labs-back ============================================================ KEY TAKEAWAYS: * When Do Labs Actually Need Ultra-High Purity Gas? * How Claind Matches Generators to Major Instrument Platforms * From Cylinders to On-Site Generation: The Real-World Case * How the Helium Conversation Has Changed * What's Really Stopping Labs From Switching to Hydrogen? 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Case Studies Support Installation Installation Instruction Videos Manuals and Guides Warranty & Service Preventative Maintenance N-EVAP PM Guide MULTIVAP PM Guide MICROVAP PM Guide S-EVAP / ROT-X-TRACT PM Guide On-Site Services Extended Warranties Repair Repair Request Tech Support Videos Trade in program Contact Help Support About Us Our History Partnerships Statement of Quality Careers Blog Contact Online Store * Nitrogen Evaporators Nitrogen Evaporators for PFAS Analysis N-EVAP MULTIVAP MICROVAP Enclosed Nitrogen Evaporators RapidVap Vertex * Nitrogen Evaporators for PFAS Analysis * N-EVAP 6 position 12 position 20 position auto 24 position 34 position 45 position * 6 position * 12 position * 20 position auto * 24 position * 34 position * 45 position * MULTIVAP 9 position 30 position 48 position 64 position 80 position 100 position * 9 position * 30 position * 48 position * 64 position * 80 position * 100 position * MICROVAP 15 position 24 position Microplate Evaporator Triple Microplate Evaporator * 15 position * Microplate Evaporator * Triple Microplate Evaporator * Enclosed Nitrogen Evaporators RapidVap Vertex * RapidVap Vertex * Centrifugal Evaporators CentriVap Standard CentriVap Pro Refrigerated CentriVap Pro CentriVap DNA Standard CentriVap DNA Pro CentriVap Cold Traps * CentriVap Standard * CentriVap Pro * Refrigerated CentriVap Pro * CentriVap DNA Standard * CentriVap DNA Pro * CentriVap Cold Traps * Solvent Recovery Evaporators S-EVAP-KD 8 position 500ml 10 position 250ml S-EVAP-RB 8 position 250ml 10 position 250ml S-EVAP+ Vacuum Evaporator * S-EVAP-KD 8 position 500ml 10 position 250ml * 8 position 500ml * 10 position 250ml * S-EVAP-RB 8 position 250ml 10 position 250ml * 8 position 250ml * S-EVAP+ Vacuum Evaporator * Soxhlet Extractors ROT-X-TRACT-S ROT-X-TRACT-LC * ROT-X-TRACT-S * ROT-X-TRACT-LC * Nitrogen Generators N2 Generators for Sample Prep N2 Generators for GC NiGen GC N2 Generators for Inertisation MAXI PICO DOMINUS NL * N2 Generators for Sample Prep NITRO-GEN NITRO-GEN+ Nitro 35 / 70 FLO NiGen Micro * NITRO-GEN+ * Nitro 35 / 70 * NiGen Micro * N2 Generators for GC NiGen GC * N2 Generators for Inertisation MAXI PICO DOMINUS NL * DOMINUS NL * Other Generators Hydrogen Generators H Series HG 220 R Zero Air Generators ZeroAir AirGen GC AirGen TOC * Hydrogen Generators H Series HG 220 R * Zero Air Generators ZeroAir AirGen GC AirGen TOC * AirGen TOC * More Recirculating Chillers Air Compressors Refurbished Evaporators Custom Solutions * Recirculating Chillers * Air Compressors * Refurbished Evaporators * Custom Solutions * Resources Tools & Product Finders Applications Articles What is Nitrogen Evaporation? Case Studies * Product Resources FAQ Informational Videos Product Brochures * Informational Videos * Product Brochures * Tools & Product Finders Generator Recommendation Chart How long will it take to evaporate my samples? How much time could I save with a nitrogen evaporator? Am I spending too much on nitrogen gas? How much could I save switching to a nitrogen generator? * Generator Recommendation Chart * How long will it take to evaporate my samples? * How much time could I save with a nitrogen evaporator? * Am I spending too much on nitrogen gas? * How much could I save switching to a nitrogen generator? * Applications Latest Applications Environmental Pesticides Lipidomics Metabolomics Cannabis * Latest Applications * Environmental * Pesticides * Lipidomics * Metabolomics * Articles What is Nitrogen Evaporation? * What is Nitrogen Evaporation? * Case Studies * Support Installation Trade in program Contact Help Support * Installation Installation Instruction Videos Manuals and Guides Warranty & Service * Installation Instruction Videos * Manuals and Guides * Warranty & Service * Preventative Maintenance N-EVAP PM Guide MULTIVAP PM Guide MICROVAP PM Guide S-EVAP / ROT-X-TRACT PM Guide On-Site Services Extended Warranties * N-EVAP PM Guide * MULTIVAP PM Guide * MICROVAP PM Guide * S-EVAP / ROT-X-TRACT PM Guide * On-Site Services * Extended Warranties * Repair Repair Request Tech Support Videos * Repair Request * Tech Support Videos * Trade in program * Contact Help Support * About Us Our History Partnerships Statement of Quality Careers * Our History * Partnerships * Statement of Quality * Online Store Products All Products Nitrogen Evaporators Nitrogen Evaporators for PFAS Analysis Enclosed Nitrogen Evaporators Centrifugal Evaporators Solvent Recovery Evaporators Soxhlet Extractors Nitrogen Generators Hydrogen Generators Zero Air Generators More Recirculating Chillers Air Compressors Refurbished Laboratory Evaporators Custom Solutions Resources Tools & Product Finders Applications Articles Case Studies Support Support Home Installation On-Site Services Extended Warranties Trade in program Contact Help Support About Us About Organomation Our History Partnerships Statement of Quality Blog Contact Careers Online Store * All Products * Nitrogen Evaporators * Enclosed Nitrogen Evaporators * Centrifugal Evaporators * Solvent Recovery Evaporators * Soxhlet Extractors * Nitrogen Generators * Hydrogen Generators * Zero Air Generators * Refurbished Laboratory Evaporators * Tools & Product Finders * Support Support Home Installation On-Site Services Extended Warranties Trade in program Contact Help Support * Support Home * Preventative Maintenance On-Site Services Extended Warranties * About Us About Organomation Our History Partnerships Statement of Quality * About Organomation # Helium to Hydrogen Conversion for GC: What's Really Holding Labs Back October 05, 2026 / David Oliva Helium has been a headache for North American labs for over a decade — but the nature of that headache has changed. Organomation sat down with Claind Sales Director Nazzareno Irrera, who brings a global perspective on nitrogen and hydrogen gas generation, to unpack why the conversation is shifting from cost to supply security, and what's actually holding labs back from making the switch to hydrogen. ## When Do Labs Actually Need Ultra-High Purity Gas? Not every application requires the highest purity gas on the market. For many routine lab workflows — general purge and trap analysis, routine LC-MS, and even some advanced QTOF or Time-of-Flight applications — ultra-high purity nitrogen and hydrogen supply isn't mandatory. Other applications, however, absolutely require it. "Some other lab applications absolutely need in a mandatory way the 5.0 in nitrogen supply, up to the 6.0 in hydrogen supply," Irrera explains, pointing to high-sensitivity gas chromatography trace analysis and ultra-pure mass spectrometry performance — including GC carrier gas applications and ECD detection — as the use cases where this level of purity becomes essential. ## How Claind Matches Generators to Major Instrument Platforms Rather than starting with the generator itself, Irrera frames compliance around the instrument's actual requirements. Claind's hydrogen generator for GC and nitrogen lines are engineered around three parameters that matter most to analytical instrumentation: purity, pressure stability, and flow capacity. Each generator is selected to meet those three requirements under the instrument's specific operating conditions, with Claind managing that selection directly rather than leaving customers to guess at part numbers. Irrera cites specific platform compatibility to make the point concrete: - Thermo Fisher TSQ and Orbitrap systems- Agilent triple quadrupole instruments- AB Sciex Triple Quad and Q-Trap systems- Bruker impact and TIMS TOF systems- Shimadzu LC-MS series "We can cope with this kind of different requirements... giving to end users basically not just products, but specifically solutions under our expertise and responsibility," Irrera says. The distinction matters: Claind positions itself as delivering complete, instrument-matched bundles rather than a catalog of standalone part numbers. ## From Cylinders to On-Site Generation: The Real-World Case For labs still running on compressed gas cylinders, Irrera breaks the case for switching into three areas. ### Supply chain reliability The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how dependent cylinder supply really is on the delivery network behind it. "Delayed deliveries, transportation issues, or cylinder shortages and emergency orders can all affect and interrupt the continuity of the analytical work," Irrera notes. On-site nitrogen generation versus cylinders removes that dependency entirely — the lab produces gas exactly when it's needed. Replacing high-pressure cylinders reduces manual handling, in-lab transportation, regulator connections, and the need to continuously manage stored gas inventory. Generators produce only the gas volume needed at the point of use, rather than storing large quantities on-site — a meaningful advantage for labs focused on improving EHS metrics. Long-term savings come from eliminating cylinder rental fees, delivery charges, administrative purchasing costs, and wastage from unused cylinder residuals. Once installed, ongoing costs are largely limited to electricity, routine maintenance, and periodic consumables. Here's the part that surprises a lot of lab managers: cost is usually what starts the conversation, but it's rarely what ends it. "Customers initially consider on-site generation for cost saving... but after the installation, they usually assign a bigger value to uninterrupted gas supply and improved laboratory safety, even more than cost savings simply," Irrera says. ## How the Helium Conversation Has Changed Helium supply disruptions have affected roughly 30% of global production, and that reality has fundamentally reshaped how labs talk about the gas. "A few years ago, this kind of conversation was mostly about cost saving. Today, we can say that this kind of discussion is more about supply security and the strategic management of the risk behind this kind of supply," Irrera explains. That shift has widened who's in the room for these decisions. The conversation is "no longer limited to GC and lab scientists," Irrera says — it now regularly involves procurement departments, sustainability and ESG teams, and EHS managers. The message resonating most with U.S. labs today, in his words: on-site generators can turn gas "from a delivered consumable into a utility." ## What's Really Stopping Labs From Switching to Hydrogen? Given the supply and safety case, why hasn't every lab already made the switch? According to Irrera, it's rarely about cost or performance. "Most lab managers understand that the business case for hydrogen is there. What often stops them is the concern." That concern shows up in two specific ways: ### Perceived safety risk Even though modern hydrogen generators include dedicated safety features and produce hydrogen on demand rather than storing large volumes, many labs still associate hydrogen with risk in ways that aren't always technically justified. Lab managers ask whether EHS or building safety teams will approve the change, what happens in the event of a leak, and how auditors will view the shift — turning what should be a technical decision into a safety policy discussion. ### Revalidation burden In heavily regulated environments — pharmaceutical testing, food testing, environmental testing, and contract labs — the bigger hurdle is often how much validation work must be repeated, even when hydrogen delivers equivalent or better GC performance than helium. Claind's CEO Giovanni Cogotzi adds an important note of transparency here: "We have to admit that helium cannot be completely substituted by hydrogen. There are cases where it's not possible, and we have these cases. We are completely transparent with our customers." Claind works with method consultants and publishes comparative studies to help customers understand exactly where hydrogen is — and isn't — the right fit. ## Speed as the New Selling Point A decade ago, cost drove the helium to hydrogen conversion conversation for GC. Today, it's speed. Hydrogen can cut GC analysis time by roughly 1.5 to 2 times with minimal loss in separation efficiency — a productivity gain Irrera describes as "a kind of physics," not a marketing claim. In practice, Irrera walks customers through a three-question framework that tends to move a project from consideration to decision: * Can I reduce helium spending? * Can I eliminate supply risk? * Can I run more samples per day? "By the time all of those are answered positively, the project often becomes much easier and justified internally," Irrera says. ## What This Means for North American Labs The real barrier to helium-to-hydrogen conversion isn't technology — it's confidence. Labs need a partner who's transparent about where hydrogen fits and where it doesn't, and who can support the revalidation and safety-approval process rather than leaving a lab to navigate EHS and auditor questions alone. As Claind's authorized representative in the United States, Organomation can help North American labs work through exactly that process — from instrument-specific generator matching using a hydrogen generator for GC to method consultation for a helium-to-hydrogen transition. This is the second post in our series based on Organomation's conversations with Claind leadership. Read the first installment on Claind's origin story and Italian engineering DNA with CEO Giovanni Cogotzi. ## Frequently Asked Questions Q: When is ultra-high purity nitrogen or hydrogen required in a lab? A: Ultra-high purity gas (5.0-grade nitrogen or 6.0-grade hydrogen) is typically required for high-sensitivity gas chromatography trace analysis and ultra-pure mass spectrometry applications, such as GC carrier gas use and ECD detection. Routine applications like general purge and trap or standard LC-MS usually don't require this level of purity. Q: What's really stopping labs from switching from helium to hydrogen? A: It's rarely cost or performance. The main barriers are perceived safety risk around hydrogen (despite modern generators' on-demand production and built-in safety features) and the revalidation work required in regulated environments like pharma, food, and contract testing labs. Q: Is hydrogen a safe replacement for helium as a GC carrier gas? A: Modern hydrogen generators are designed with dedicated safety features and produce hydrogen on demand rather than storing large volumes, making them safer than many lab managers perceive. However, hydrogen cannot fully replace helium in every application, and labs should evaluate method-specific compatibility with expert guidance. Q: What are the main advantages of on-site gas generation over gas cylinders? A: On-site generation improves supply chain reliability by eliminating dependency on cylinder delivery networks, improves lab safety by reducing high-pressure cylinder handling and storage, and lowers long-term costs by eliminating rental fees, delivery charges, and cylinder wastage. If you need support from one of our technicians, please fill out our Contact Help Support form and we will respond as quickly as possible! For all other enquiries, please use this general contact form.  Tel: +1.978.838.7300 Toll-free: 888.838.7300 Fax: 978.838.2786 266 River Road West Berlin, MA 01503-1699 USA  Tel: +1.978.838.7300 Other: 888.838.7300 Fax: 978.838.2786 ©2026 Organomation 266 River Road West Berlin, MA 01503-1699 USA Tel: +1.978.838.7300 Other: 888.838.7300 Fax: 978.838.2786 ©2026 Organomation Nitrogen Evaporators Solvent Evaporators Solvent Extractors Nitrogen Generators Chillers * Solvent Evaporators * Solvent Extractors Custom Solutions Trade in Program Extended Warranties * Trade in Program Product Resources Contact Help Support Repair Request Warranty & Service * Product Resources Our History Statement of Quality Case Studies Careers Terms of Sale Terms of Use Privacy Policy * Terms of Sale * Terms of Use * Privacy Policy contact us ------------------------------------------------------------ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Q: When Do Labs Actually Need Ultra-High Purity Gas? A: Not every application requires the highest purity gas on the market. For many routine lab workflows — general purge and trap analysis, routine LC-MS, and even some advanced QTOF or Time-of-Flight applications — ultra-high purity nitrogen and hydrogen supply isn't mandatory. Other applications, however, absolutely require it. "Some other lab applications absolutely need in a mandatory way the 5.0 in nitrogen supply, up to the 6.0 in hydrogen supply," Irrera explains, pointing to high-sensitivity gas chromatography trace analysis and ultra-pure mass spectrometry performance — including GC carrier gas applications and ECD detection — as the use cases where this level of purity becomes essential. Q: What's Really Stopping Labs From Switching to Hydrogen? A: Given the supply and safety case, why hasn't every lab already made the switch? According to Irrera, it's rarely about cost or performance. "Most lab managers understand that the business case for hydrogen is there. What often stops them is the concern." That concern shows up in two specific ways: ------------------------------------------------------------ ABOUT THIS CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------ Source: https://blog.organomation.com/blog/helium-to-hydrogen-conversion-for-gc-whats-really-holding-labs-back Author: David Oliva Published: October 5, 2026 This content is provided for informational purposes. Please visit the original source for the most up-to-date information.