Krypton Uses

Krypton is one of the three noble gases discovered by the British chemists, Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers, in 1898. Over time, krypton has come a long way to become one of the most sought after chemical element in various sectors, right from electronics to health. The salient properties of any element play a crucial role when it comes to its uses, and thus, it is necessary to be well-versed with the basic properties of krypton in order to understand its uses.

Krypton Properties

Krypton is a colorless, odorless and tasteless noble gas, found in trace amounts in the Earth's atmosphere. In fact, its composition in the atmosphere is a mere 1 part per million (PPM). Its symbol is Kr, while its atomic number is 36 in the periodic table. The atomic weight of this element is 83.798 g·mol^-1, while its density is 3.749 g/L. Its melting point is -251.25° F, and its boiling point is -244.12° F. Krypton is typically characterized by green and orange spectral lines emitting from it. It shares the face-centered cubic crystal structure with all the other constituents in the list of noble gases.

Initially, krypton was thought to be a completely inert gas. However, the development of its compounds in form of the krypton difluoride (KrF₂) and krypton tetrafluoride (KrF₄), in 1963, proved otherwise. These compounds of krypton were produced by combining it with one of the most active element in the world - fluorine. One should also take a note of the fact that, it is a non-toxic asphyxiant, and has the potential of triggering narcosis in human beings.

What is Krypton Used for?

Interestingly enough, most of the uses of krypton are related to the lighting systems. In fact, its uses in everyday life include its use in different kinds of lamps, advertising signs, etc. The use of this gas in fluorescent lights tends to reduce the power consumption significantly. It is also used in incandescent light bulbs in order to curb filament evaporation. In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it is used to image the airways. The bright lights produced by passing electricity through krypton gas can be seen from as far as 1000 ft, even during foggy conditions. The tendency of this light to penetrate fog has resulted in its use in aircraft runways to navigate aircraft.

Its use in slide and movie projectors is also quite common. It is also used in the photographic flash, especially in high speed photography. It is used to manufacture quasi-homogeneous electromagnetic calorimeters, which are used to measure the quantity of heat. Among the various uses, its application for the purpose of measurement is perhaps the most important. When krypton-86 is heated, it tends to give off a clear, bright line of a reddish-orange color. Scientists measure a meter as 1,650,763.73 times the width of this line produced by krypton.

Krypton - a relatively rare element in the Earth's atmosphere - is obtained from liquefied air in a process known as fractional distillation, and the cost incurred in this process is quite high. This acts as one of the major deterrents when it comes to its uses. Efforts are being made to come up with new methods of obtaining this element, and once these efforts yield positive results, the demand for this element will be fulfilled with ease.