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The looming helium crisis

9 March 2007

Everyone knows what helium is, but did you realise that we might be in big trouble because supplies are limited and running out?

The problem is that, being an inert gas, we can't make helium using the kinds of chemical processes that allow us to extract most other elements from compounds that occur naturally.

And, despite the fact that it's the second-most abundant element in the universe, some reports indicate that we've only got about 20 years worth of this interesting gas left on the planet.

To appreciate how important this is, you need to understand just what an amazing substance helium is and how its uses extend way beyond making lighter than air party balloons.

On close inspection, helium is one of the most enigmatic and exciting elements on the periodic table, exhibiting some behaviours that defy conventional explanations and clearly demonstrate the principles of quantum physics.

Helium wasn't even discovered until a little over 100 years ago and is now a crucial component of much research and many manufacturing processes.

As the most inert of all the noble gases, it is used as a protective shield when growing the silicon crystals used in the manufacture of most semiconductors - which means the PC you're using right now would not have been possible without helium.

It's also the coldest of the liquified gases (has the lowest boiling point), remaining liquid right down to absolute zero. This makes it invaluable for use in superconducting magnets such as those used on MRI machines and for much of the research into this subject currently being done.

It also exhibits some very odd behaviour -- such as becoming warmer when allowed to expand, which is quite the reverse behaviour of other gases.

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Because helium is almost insoluble in water, it is also useful as a replacement for nitrogen in diving-gas mixes. Because it won't dissolve, even at high pressures, it reduces a diver's chances of getting the bends when resurfacing after operating at depth.

Given it's amazing qualities and invaluable properties, the USA has established a huge strategic reserve (over one billion cubic feet) of helium which is stored underground at the Cliffside Storage Facility in Texas.

To date, over US$1.4 billion has been spent on the creation and filling of this storage facility -- a clear indicator of the value that this gas represents to future technology and a strong hint that its value may one day become very high.

So just where do we get our helium from and what is happening to it where's it all going?

Most of the helium sold today is refined from natural gas through fractional distillation (relying on its extremely low boiling point) and that gas has been formed from the natural decay of heavy radioactive elements deep in the earth's crust and mantle.

This means that most of our supply is also linked to the supply of fossil fuels, further reason to be concerned about the predictions of "peak oil".

If liberated into the atmosphere, helium is apparently so light that it (eventually) rises to the edge of space and effectively wanders off, never to return to the planet again.

With the number of uses for helium increasing on an almost daily basis and the supply effectively being pretty much finite and limited here on earth, it would appear that there may well be a helium crisis sometime this century.

One glimmer of hope would be if we can finally get a hydrogen fusion reactor going. The "waste" products of this reactor would include helium. However, as we all know, practical nuclear fusion is ten years away [cue Tui's ad].

I stumbled on these interesting facts yesterday and worked out that finite supply combined with increasing demand equals future crisis. This morning, when researching the subject further, I discovered that I'm not alone in reaching this conclusion and found these links via Google:

Noble gases & the helium crisis (BBC)
Helium crisis (Wikipedia) counter-argument

Right now I'm wondering if it's only a matter of time before the price of (already expensive) helium gas skyrockets (it's already much more expensive than gold on a weight for weight basis).

So, make the most of the Donald Duck voices you can make when breathing in the gas from party balloons while you can.

And if you want some more reading on the amazing properties of helium, this Wikipedia page is quite comprehensive.

Did you realise how interesting helium was as a substance?

What will we do when all the helium is gone?

Should we be focusing more on how helium possibly represents a gold-mine in quantum effects so as to further our understanding of this intriguing aspect of physics?

Have you stocked up on helium-futures?

Have your say on this...

Oh, and don't forget today's sci/tech news headlines