He He He no more

Chemistry Level 3

Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe.

When is it estimated that the Earth will run out of Helium (for private individual purchase)

Never 2200 2020 3000

Calvin Lin by Calvin Lin

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1 solution

Michael Mendrin
Oct 6, 2015

Most of the Helium currently comes from the natural gas fields of the American midwest and of the Persian Gulf. But once the National Helium Reserve in Texas runs out around 2020 or so, it's going to become much harder to squeeze it from other gas fields, where concentrations of Helium are far less as compared to the one in Texas. Maybe we should invest in Helium stocks?

It's really odd that Helium should be the 2nd most abundant element in the universe , and yet we have a hard time finding any on this planet! And we use it to to fill party balloons!

Next: Helium-3 mining on the moon, a truly valuable fuel for fusion power, nearly impossible to find on Earth in any reasonable quantities. Especially after about 2020.

5 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused

The issue with Helium is that it's an extremely light, inert gas, and so there isn't an easy way of storing it after mining. Hydrogen, though being lighter, can be burnt and stored as water.

Calvin Lin Staff - 5 years, 8 months ago

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Besides being extremely light, it insists on staying a gas because it's noble and inert, and so it escapes into outer space whenever chance it gets. That's why it's so rare around here. The moon gets its He3 from the solar wind, but the Earth gets its He from radioactive decay.

Michael Mendrin - 5 years, 8 months ago

What liquids can hold He? (if any)

Xiaoying Qin - 5 years, 8 months ago

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Of all the gases, Helium has the lowest solubility in water. Trying to store useful quantities of Helium in solution is pretty hopeless.

Most of the Helium reserves are in underground "natural tanks" in Texas.

Commercially, Helium is simply stored and transported in cold liquid form. As cold it has to be, it's still the most cost effective way to transport large quantities of Helium.

Michael Mendrin - 5 years, 8 months ago

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@Michael Mendrin – Is there a way to "add neutrons, protons, and electrons" to a hydrogen atom to make helium?

Xiaoying Qin - 5 years, 8 months ago

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@Xiaoying Qin – Yes! It's called nuclear fusion! You know, H-bomb.

Michael Mendrin - 5 years, 8 months ago

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@Michael Mendrin – I guess it is very dangerous or we would use it to make helium last until the end of the universe.

Xiaoying Qin - 5 years, 8 months ago

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@Xiaoying Qin – We do have controlled fusion in the laboratory, but we can only produce very small quantities of it "from scratch". The reality is that once the reserves run out in Texas, we're going to have to squeeze harder for Helium elsewhere in other natural gas deposits on this planet. At least until we're able to siphon off some Helium from some of the gas giant planets in the Solar System.

Michael Mendrin - 5 years, 8 months ago

Then what will happen to our balloons?? ;(

Kunal Gupta - 5 years, 8 months ago

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