
US airship USS Shenandoah, the first helium-filled rigid airship, 1923 USS Shenandoah, the world’s first helium-filled rigid airship
The US has been selling off its helium reserve, established in the 1920s to provide gas for airships – but even so, shortages have been occurring.
Some scientists believe a finite resource that could one day run out should not be used for party balloons.
In the universe as a whole, it is one of the commonest elements, second only to hydrogen in its abundance. On Earth it is relatively rare, and one of the few elements that escapes gravity and leaks away into space.
“All of the other elements we’ve scattered around the globe, maybe we can go digging in garbage dumps to get them back,” says chemist Andrea Sella, of University College London (UCL).
“But helium is unique. When it’s gone it is lost to us forever.”
Helium has the lowest boiling point of any element, at -269C, just a few degrees above absolute zero (-273C).
This makes it of key importance for superconducting magnets used in MRI scanners, which must be supercooled to generate the hugely powerful magnetic fields required.
“We’re going to be looking back and thinking, I can’t believe people just used to fill up their balloons with it, when it’s so precious and unique,” says Cambridge University chemist Peter Wothers, who has called for the end to helium-filled party balloons.
“It is something we need to think about.”
That would mean an end to the old party favourite of breathing in helium from a balloon, and then talking in a high-pitched voices – a result of helium’s fast-moving molecules. But maybe this would be no bad thing, as it can cause dizziness, headaches and even death.
The gas, which is formed by the decay of radioactive rocks in the earth’s crust, accumulates in natural gas deposits and is collected as a by-product of the gas industry.
The United States is currently the world’s biggest supplier, with the bulk of it stored near Amarillo, Texas, in the national helium reserve – which alone accounts for 35% of the world’s current supply.
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Helium
- X-energy Partners with Kinectrics for Helium Test Facility
This facility will test and verify performance of critical structures, systems, and components of X-energy’s Xe-100 advanced small modular reactor in helium-based high-temperature and high-pressure ...
- Gaseous and Liquid Helium Market Growth and Forecast till 2031
The "Gaseous and Liquid Helium Market" Study Describes how the technology industry is evolving and how major and ...
- TMS Network (TMSN) Leaps Ahead of the Competition as Convex Finance (CVX) and Helium (HNT) See a Decrease of over 10%
Based on this underwhelming performance surrounding Convex Finance (CVX), it is clear why traders and investors are eyeing alternatives such as Helium (HNT) and TMS Network (TMSN) ...
- Best luggage deals in March 2023 (last chance)
We found the best luggage deals of 2023 on top-rated carry-ons, checked bags and more. These soft-sided and hard-shell luggage options work for airplane travel, weekend road trips, cabin getaways and ...
- James Webb Space Telescope finds a 'hot Jupiter' exoplanet that defies expectations
The atmospheres of gas giant planets across the Milky Way galaxy can be very different from those in our solar system, the James Webb Space Telescope has found. Observations of the distant exoplanet ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Helium
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Helium” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Helium supply
- X-energy Partners with Kinectrics for Helium Test Facility
The Xe-100 will use circulating helium gas to transfer heat from the reactor core through a heat exchanger to generate high-temperature steam that can be used to generate electricity or supply heat ...
- Gaseous and Liquid Helium Market Growth and Forecast till 2031
The "Gaseous and Liquid Helium Market" Study Describes how the technology industry is evolving and how major and ...
- Helium Can Stop Your IPhone — Maybe Other MEMS, Too
It took some detective work, but they think they know what was the cause. The MRI machine uses liquid helium to cool its powerful magnets. Turns out the helium had leaked and over 5 hours about ...
- Global Helium Market 2023 | Industry Growth and Consistency up to 2030
The Helium Market (2023-2030) features an extensive analysis of the market's various types [Liquid Helium, Gaseous ...
- Could Airships Make A Comeback With New Hybrid Designs?
With helium shortages easing, there shouldn’t be any major issues with supply, though someone ought to sort out the maths on the website. It’s rare for a new mode of transport to have an easy ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Helium supply
[google_news title=”” keyword=”helium supply” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]