Shortage of Helium
Irvin Morales
Econ 201
Dr. Popp
10/25/12
Helium Shortage The second element on the periodic table; He, also known as helium, is a gaseous element that is located somewhere in the sun’s atmosphere and deep underground in some natural gasses (Helium 2012.) Helium can be refined and later stored in tanks to be sold to the market. But where exactly does the helium go after it has been refined? And in what state of matter does Helium sell at the most? It is unknown to many, but helium is actually used for more than just blowing up balloons for birthday parties. Helium is rare because there are no biosynthetic ways of making it, and all the helium that we currently have in the world is a result of the decaying uranium and thorium (Helium 2012.) It is also the most stable element in the world (Global 2007) and when its temperature hits below 4.2 Kelvins or four degrees higher than absolute zero, helium reaches its liquid state and it reaches one of the coldest points an element can ever reach. This is why helium is mostly used as a coolant. When liquid helium is put next to another object, the other object’s energy is rapidly being extracted which cools the object down. This technique is applied when cooling the magnets of MRI machines as well as cooling the magnets of nuclear magnetic resonance, NMR, machines which are used to map the chemical structure of molecules (Campoy 2007.) Clearly helium plays an important role in the science industry as it can be used in research to find cures to deadly diseases, create new sources of energy and answer questions about how the universe was formed, because when it is depressurized and at its liquid state it is the coldest liquid on earth and it can resemble conditions in outer space (Campoy 2007.) Not only that but it is also important in mass spectroscopy welding, production of computer microchips, fiber optics, liquid-fuel tanks of rockets and missiles as well as many other technological means. Helium is used in large
Econ 201
Dr. Popp
10/25/12
Helium Shortage The second element on the periodic table; He, also known as helium, is a gaseous element that is located somewhere in the sun’s atmosphere and deep underground in some natural gasses (Helium 2012.) Helium can be refined and later stored in tanks to be sold to the market. But where exactly does the helium go after it has been refined? And in what state of matter does Helium sell at the most? It is unknown to many, but helium is actually used for more than just blowing up balloons for birthday parties. Helium is rare because there are no biosynthetic ways of making it, and all the helium that we currently have in the world is a result of the decaying uranium and thorium (Helium 2012.) It is also the most stable element in the world (Global 2007) and when its temperature hits below 4.2 Kelvins or four degrees higher than absolute zero, helium reaches its liquid state and it reaches one of the coldest points an element can ever reach. This is why helium is mostly used as a coolant. When liquid helium is put next to another object, the other object’s energy is rapidly being extracted which cools the object down. This technique is applied when cooling the magnets of MRI machines as well as cooling the magnets of nuclear magnetic resonance, NMR, machines which are used to map the chemical structure of molecules (Campoy 2007.) Clearly helium plays an important role in the science industry as it can be used in research to find cures to deadly diseases, create new sources of energy and answer questions about how the universe was formed, because when it is depressurized and at its liquid state it is the coldest liquid on earth and it can resemble conditions in outer space (Campoy 2007.) Not only that but it is also important in mass spectroscopy welding, production of computer microchips, fiber optics, liquid-fuel tanks of rockets and missiles as well as many other technological means. Helium is used in large
Cited: 18, September. "Global Helium Shortage Expands." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 18 Sept. 2007. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. <http://articles.latimes.com/2007/sep/18/business/fi-helium18>. Compoy, Ana. "As Balloons Demand, Helium Is in Short Supply." The Wall Street Journal. N.p., 5 Dec. 2007. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119682793344314212.html>. "Helium Supplies Endangered, Threatening Science and Technology | Newsroom | Washington University in St. Louis." Helium Supplies Endangered, Threatening Science and Technology | Newsroom | Washington University in St. Louis. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. <http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/10754.aspx>. Plumer, Brad. "Congress Turns Its Attention To... America’s Helium Crisis." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 14 May 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/congress-turns-its-attention-to-americas-helium-crisis/2012/05/12/gIQA4fIbKU_blog.html>. Washington University in St. Louis. "Helium Supplies Endangered, Threatening Science And Technology." ScienceDaily, 5 Jan. 2008. Web. 20 Oct. 2012.