What is the difference between Helium Gas and Hydrogen Gas?

Helium Gas is inert and Hydrogen gas is inflammable

That’s it. That is all you need to know.

This seems to be a topic that pops up every time there is a public incident of balloons exploding, people get scalded and the media goes bananas and rehashes every balloon explosion story and then the word helium balloon is thrown into the mix.

Then the public angst about how “helium balloons” exploded!? How did it happen? How could this repeat itself? Ad Nauseum. It looks like some of our journalists don’t do much homework as well.

What is an inert gas? Check this out. 
So inert means the gas will not react or combine or degrade. So helium does not burn, will not combine with oxygen or any other material.

So why do balloons explode? Simply because Hydrogen gas is lighter than air, cheaper than Helium and suppliers use this to make some money. That’s it!

There are also other gases that are lighter than air, see here.
Many of them are noxious, smell bad, are poisonous, or are just inflammable. Like ammonia, acetylene and carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

Commercially, Balloon Gas is Helium, if you see the white tanks in Balloon Shops around KL, these are Helium Tanks. We use the 6.4m3 tanks. There are also refillable and disposable tanks used for different reasons.

The tanks look like this and are clearly marked as Balloon Gas.


How is this important? You should know that Balloon Buzz Party Centre® as a balloon company only uses Helium for its balloons.

So the free flow Floating Balloons, the Balloon Deliveries, the Letter balloons, the Alphabet balloons the Gender Reveal Balloons and other Party Balloons all come filled only with Helium Gas.

The only other kind of Helium we have are in Disposable tanks. They look like this.


When will you use a Disposable Helium Tank?

When you plan a party with Helium Balloons somewhere far away from any Balloon shops. Say you want to “Balik Kampung” and celebrate a birthday. These tanks will blow 50 helium balloons. So you will become the most loved Uncle or Auntie in your hometown!

That is the full scoop! Nothing else you need to know about Helium and Balloon Gas.

BUT now, let us get to the entertainment.. let us look at how well known Hydrogen explosions are! Hydrogen exploding is a historical and global phenomena.

It repeats itself in cycles. And there very little to do when law and enforcement does not follow science.

The MOST famous hydrogen explosion was the HINDENBURG in 1937

Watch this
1937 Hindenburg Explosion In Colour With Herbert Morrison's Commentary
1,095,846 views
•May 4, 2013

To watch the hydrogen balloon explosion experiment, click here.

To watch science experiment on youtube, check out here.

Since then, Hydrogen Balloons have been regularly exploding. Especially in big crowds that accompany political figures.

Check out the news in 2019 at Malaysia

Check out the news in 2016 at Malaysia, dozens injured in Malaysia after gas filled balloons explode at public event.

Check out the news in 2019 at India where gas balloons explode during PM Narendra Modis birthday.

and HERE is a call by an “expert” to ban use of hydrogen in 2019

and HERE on a home party, hydrogen balloons are also exploding!!

That is it!! Helium gas is inert. And hydrogen gas is inflammable..I hope this was educational.