The Search History of Helium - Article Example

Name of the Student] [Name of the Professor] [Name of the Course] [Date] Helium In this universe, Helium is second, only to Hydrogen in abundance (Helium - He). Its name originated name from the Greek word hêlios or sun. In the year 1868, Pierre Janssen was studying the solar spectrum, during an eclipse of the sun; while doing so he saw an additional yellow line and in this manner Helium was discovered. Sir Norman Lockyer, an English astronomer, later named this unknown yellow line as Helium, after discovering that a new element on the sun was causing this yellow line. This led to the search for this new element, but no one knew where to look for it (Calvert). This search ended in 1895, after Helium was found in the mineral clevite that contained uranium, independently by Ramsay, a Scottish chemist; and the Swedish chemists Cleve and Langlet (It's Elemental). Helium consists of two protons and two neutrons in the nucleus, surrounded by two electrons. This Helium nucleus, which is also known as the alpha particle, is very stable. Helium is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and non-toxic monatomic gas. It is classified under the noble gas series in the periodic table, and is lighter than air. It has the lowest melting and boiling point amongst the elements (Element Helium - He). Helium is of great use in the study of superconductivity. The high temperature and pressure in the stars, converts hydrogen nuclei to Helium, this process is known as nuclear fusion. Helium is found very rarely on Earth, and most of the terrestrial helium is created by the radioactive decay of the heavy elements. A small quantity of helium is to be found in natural gas. The process of fractional distillation is employed to commercially extract such Helium. The greatest source of Helium is the natural gas fields of the United States. It is also found in the gas reserves of a few other countries. Helium is an inert gas that does not easily combine with the other elements. Some attempts are being made to produce helium diflouride or HeF2 (It's Elemental). In comparison to Hydrogen, which constitutes about ninety percent of the atoms in the universe, Helium constitutes about nine percent. Moreover, Helium accounts for a quarter of the mass of the universe, whereas Hydrogen constitutes seventy – three percent of the mass of the universe. The remaining mass of the universe is composed of the heavier elements (Helium). Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas have a number of natural gas deposits, from which the major portion of the commercially extracted Helium is procured. Some of the countries where Helium is available are the natural gas fields of Russia, Canada and Algeria (McGuire). Due to the non combustibility of Helium, it is used to inflate airships, scientific balloons and party balloons. Helium is also used to pressurize rockets to make their structure rigid before takeoff. Rocket engines consume liquefied hydrogen; and Helium, whose boiling point is lower than that of hydrogen, is employed for forcing such fuel into the engines of these rocket ships. Helium remains chemically inert and is non – radioactive. Hence, it is used in the nuclear reactors to transfer heat (Helium). Liquid Helium plays an important role as a cooling agent to achieve very low temperatures required for cryogenic research. It is also used to study superconductivity, the ability of some materials to conduct electricity with virtually no resistance when chilled to temperatures near absolute zero. Liquid Helium induces superconductivity in some elements. Notable amongst such elements are arsenic, mercury and niobium. In high energy physics, particle accelerators are used to a great extent and liquid Helium acts as the coolant for their superconducting magnets. In astronomy, detection of electromagnetic waves in the infrared and microwave band is achieved by means of satellites and space telescopes; these devices utilize Helium for cooling purposes (Helium). Caisson workers and deep – sea divers are always at the risk of suffering from the bends. After much research, it was established that such vulnerability was significantly mitigated by supplanting nitrogen with Helium, in the decompression chamber. Helium passes through the respiratory passages, much more freely than nitrogen; hence, it has been employed in medicines used by people with respiratory problems. Tumours of the eye have been subjected to alpha particles that were obtained from a synchrocyclotron. This caused them to shrink in some instances and to stabilize in other cases. The deformities of blood vessel in the patients’ brain are being shrunk by the use of these beams (Helium). Helium is employed in devices based that measure nuclear magnetic resonance; mass spectroscopes; production of fibre optics and production of integrated circuit chips that find great use in computers. Helium transported as a compressed gas, after storing it in heavy plated steel cylinders. However, gaseous helium can be transported only in small quantities. Helium in liquid state can be transported in large quantities, and liquid helium is transported in thermally insulated containers, which reduces the cost of transportation (Helium). Some materials get contaminated by air during the arc welding process. To obviate this problem, helium is utilized. Moreover, it can be employed as a shield against the air, in overhead materials that have to be welded. This is due to the fact that Helium weighs much less than air. This property of helium makes it the most preferred gas in arc welding processes. USA, being the major helium supplier to the world, has predicted that the sharp reduction of helium availability, when combined with extended requirement in the near future, will cause tremendous inconveniences for the acquisition of this strategic commodity (Das, Bhandari and Sen). Due to the tremendous costs of energy and transportation, constant increases in crude helium costs and rising utility and labor costs, most helium suppliers have announced price increasing from 10% to 15% in 2006. Such an increase in helium costs was due to the growing dependence on crude helium supplied by the US Bureau of Land Management, whose reserve is playing an increasing role in the helium supply. The reason for this is, as the production of crude helium from inexpensive private sources deteriorates and due to the decrease of some of the richer natural gas fields. As USA helium reserves continue to decline, it was predicted that helium costs would rise constantly along with the increasing productions costs (Rosa). The reserves of natural gas in the USA were estimated to be 167 trillion scf (4.6 trillion scm) (US Department of Energy, 1998a), as of December 31, 1997. The USA has produced about 19.9 trillion scf (550 billion scm) of gas (US Department of Energy, 1998b), for a reserves/production ratio of 8.4 years in 1997. The active natural gas industry in the USA, have been constantly supplying the natural gas. This has been replacing the produced reserves through new field exploration and improved recovery technology. If it were not like that, such a low reserves/production ratio would result in rapid declines in the ability of natural gas (Helium Supply, Present and Future). There are only 12 helium sources in the world, and some of these are nearing exhaustion. Resources from natural gas fields with a helium concentration of 0.3% or higher, resources from natural gas fields with a concentration below 0.3% which mostly is uneconomical to extract, atmospheric Helium that is too energy intensive to produce, are the major sources of Helium(Rembrandt). However, the cost of producing it from these sources is unknown. This is because the traditional ways of Helium production are dependent on the production of natural gas, and Helium is a derivative or byproduct of natural gas. Helium will only be produced by building large infrastructures that are meant to be in operation for twenty years or more. Such large infrastructures are built to produce natural gas. The period of availability of natural gas in the gas fields is also a deciding factor for the building large infrastructures (Rembrandt). As helium possesses some unique properties it can’t be renewed or replaced. There are no biosynthetic ways to make an alternative for helium unlike hydrocarbon fuels (natural gas or oil). So, better efforts should be made to recycle it (ScienceDaily). The current position is that worldwide production of helium has been increased to meet the estimated future demand. Exxon is expected to increase its capacity to 1,750 mmscf/yr by the year 2008, in North America. Ridgeway is planning to establish a 50 mmscf/yr plant to produce gaseous helium in St. John, Arizona. There have been several attempts to produce helium in the US and other countries, in order to meet the future demands for helium. However, Helium shortage is expected by the next century (Garvey). Helium cannot be supplanted, because some applications need temperatures below minus 210 degrees centigrade. At that temperature liquid nitrogen freezes. Helium liquefies at minus 272 degrees centigrade, and remains a liquid even at temperatures that are very close to absolute zero. This property renders it very precious, and it is used for cooling materials to temperatures that are very close to the absolute zero. For MRI or magnetic resonance imaging scanning, when replacements were used, the scanner has to operate only at higher temperatures. So there will be less conductivity and it becomes a less effective scanner as a result. So the helium availability is very important as long as no replacements for these processes have been developed (Rembrandt). Balloon manufacturers and distributors have been asked to find an alternative to Helium, for use in non – floating balloons, by the International Balloon Association. This Association is going to introduce new products, which will be useful in increasing the floating time of balloons. The Association is aiming to reduce the use of helium by twenty ­ five percent. According to Troy Apprill, owner of Balloonville Productions, his company is planning to market air-filled balloons. The designs promoted by his company match the performance of helium filled balloons (McGuire). Helium is vital for certain energy-related uses that may be important 50 years from now, when helium when helium-bearing natural gas, a much cheaper source than air, may be exhausted. The productive capacity is higher than the present demand, but most of helium is being scattered into the atmosphere as the natural gas is burned for fuel. There are fundamental dissimilarities in the points of view on the economic future of industrial society on the limits of labour substitution and capital for a depleting resource, and on intergenerational equity and risk bearing. These are reflected by the controversy over the need for a government-directed helium-conservation program (Cook). The cost of helium has been increasing from the past ten years. This is due to a shortage of Helium, due to the decline in its production in the USA, since 1999. This shortfall is being made good by drawing upon the available reserves (Rembrandt). The United States Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries reported that the United States possesses twenty – one percent of the total helium reserves of the world. The US is responsible for seventy – seven percent of the entire helium production of the world. The US is the largest consumer of helium. Most of the helium produced in Algeria, Poland and Russia is sold in the European market; and Qatar sells its helium in the Asian markets (Garvey). Helium production in the US is gradually decreasing, and this decreased production is unable to meet the demands of the US market. This is because there is a depletion of the helium gas reserves, and this has been transpiring from the past decade. At the same time, during the period 1996 to 1999, there was increased demand for helium all over the world. The demand for helium was constant between 2000 and 2003 and there was a decrease in its demand in the US. However, there was a ten percent annual growth in the demand for Helium, in the Middle East and the Pacific Rim (Garvey). In other countries, there are enough reserves to scale up the production. The scaling down of Helium in the United States has met with a slow response. The reason for this is that US Helium is obtained as a by product of natural gas extraction. Hence, its production is dependent on the production of natural gas. The expected commencement of Helium extraction in Qatar and Algeria, cannot maintain a five percent growth rate. Therefore, it is futile to expect any reduction in the cost of Helium in the near future; and this situation will persist until such time as extraction commences from some new source (Rembrandt). Accordingly, the helium industry has predicted a very tight demand supply position till the year 2011. The Eastern Siberian natural gas field of Kovykta is expected to provide an abundant supply of Helium. This field contains forty to fifty percent of the Russian Helium reserves. It is planned to develop so that it can provide natural gas for China and to provide helium supplies to the world. It is expected to commence by 2015 at the earliest. So the present limited helium supply is expected to continue at least until 2015. With that, there will be depletion of federal helium reserves in the United States. Helium shortage would be serious throughout the world, if the production of Kovykta is delayed much further beyond 2015 (Rembrandt). Helium is a commercial product whose availability in the market is influenced by the demand and supply of the element. Its market rapidly and continuously changes and in the year 2006 there was widespread scarcity of Helium in the international market. Helium is used in a wide range of applications. As a liquid, helium is extremely cold. It is inert, and in the gaseous state, it is a good conductor of heat, with negligible weight. The US government established the Airborne Laser program or the ABL in the year 2007. The fundamental aim of this program is to locate and track down missiles, while they are being launched. The ABL fires a highly precise laser beam at the missile and destroys it. The ABL will use Helium as the main gas, in combination with a Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (Garvey). Works Cited Calvert, J.B. Helium. 29 May 2004. 31 March 2008 . Cook, Earl. The Helium Question. 7 December 1979. 31 March 2008 . Das, N.K, et al. The helium potential of India. 25 June 2005. 31 March 2008 . Element Helium - He. 22 February 2007. 31 March 2008 . "Helium." Microsoft® Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2007. Helium - He. 31 March 2008 . Helium Supply, Present and Future. 31 March 2008 . It's Elemental. 31 March 2008 . McGuire, kim. U.S. helium supply is deflating. 1 June 2008. 31 March 2008 . Rembrandt. Goodbye Helium, Goodbye Brainscans. 17 January 2008. 31 March 2008 . Rosa, Rui Namorado. Helium: a vanishing commodity . 1 June 2008. 31 March 2008 . ScienceDaily. Helium Supplies Endangered, Threatening Science And Technology. 5 January 2008. 31 March 2008 . Read More

 

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