Interesting Facts about Helium

What is Helium ?
Helium is a tasteless, odorless and colorless inert gas which constitutes 0.0005% of air. It is the second-most abundant element found in the universe, after Hydrogen. It's also one of the oldest and the second-lightest element in the universe. The word 'helium' originates from the Greek word helios meaning the Sun. It was named helium, perhaps, because it was first observed in the spectrum of the sun. The symbol representing it is 'He' and its atomic number is 2. This element has 2 protons in its nucleus, and 2 electrons around it.

History of Helium
During a solar eclipse on August 18, 1868, a French astronomer, Pierre Janssen and an English astronomer, Joseph Norman Lockyer noticed a bright yellow line in the spectrum of the sun. Lockyer was the first person to propose that a new element was found and named it 'Helium'. On March 26, 1895 Sir William Ramsay from Scotland, noticed a bright yellow line, similar to the line observed by Janssen and Lockyer in the spectrum of the sun. Until then it was assumed that this element is only available in the outer space. Isolation of this element from the mineral cleveite proved the existence of helium on Earth. In the same year, N. A. Langley from London and P. T. Cleve from Uppsala, Sweden also claimed that they had discovered this new element. Finally, all three of them; Ramsay, Langley and Cleve were credited with the discovery of helium. Later in 1898, the discovery of radium confirmed that helium was a by-product of the natural breakdown of radioactive elements.

Commercial demand for helium was increasing with time, all over the world. For the initial years, United States produced 90% of helium in the world while Canada, Russia and other nations produced the remaining 10%. In the 1990s, a new plant was established in Algeria and it started producing enough helium to meet the demand in Europe. By the dawn of 21st century, Algeria became the second leading producer of helium.

Where is Helium Found?
The second-most abundant element found in the universe, helium, constitutes 23% of baryonic gases. This huge amount was formed with the Big Bang. Most of the helium found on earth can be traced to natural gas reserves, but minute quantities can also be attributed to natural springs, volcanic gases, etc. Helium is accumulated in natural gas reserves as a product of radioactive decay. Over a period of time, small atoms of helium are released in the atmosphere. Such deposits are found in Russia, Algeria, Canada and China. Helium is available in large amounts, below the American Great Plains in the United States, which alone accounts for 11 billion cubic meters of helium resources.

Uses of Helium

• Being lighter than air, helium is widely used in airships and balloons. It's also used to pressurize liquid-fueled rocket tanks.
• In metallurgy, it is used to prevent oxidization during the process of welding of metals such as aluminum, copper and magnesium.
• As it is less soluble in blood and diffuses easily through lungs, a mixture of helium with oxygen helps deep sea divers to reduce the effect of narcosis.
• In the medical field, it is used as a life-saving anesthetic in treating people suffering from severe asthma and is also used in MRI scanning.
• In cryogenics, it is used to freeze and store biological materials for later use.
• Its low boiling point makes it an ideal gas for low temperature gas thermometers.
• Being an inert gas, it is used as a cooling agent for nuclear plants.

Interesting Facts about Helium

• Approximately, a quarter of the universe is made up of helium atoms.
• It is a non-flammable gas; hence safer than hydrogen.
• Instead of freezing, helium becomes a superfluid at a temperature of -271°C.
• When it is cold, it can rise up the walls of its container and escape.
• Sun's energy is produced due to fusion between hydrogen and helium.
• The tone of human voice can change in helium-rich atmosphere.
• Continuous intake of helium can cause asphyxiation and eventually result in death.

On the whole, helium proves to be very useful to mankind and more importantly it is found in copious amounts. Only a proper use of this element will ensure that it will help us for many more years.