Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, but on earth it is relatively rare. It’s a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic gas that is lighter than air. Helium is found in natural gas deposits, and it is produced by radioactive decay. For many years, helium was used primarily for balloons and other recreational purposes. However, in recent years, its importance in modern technology has grown significantly.

The primary use of helium today is in cryogenics, or “extremely cold temperatures”. It is the only element that remains liquid at near absolute zero temperatures, making it an essential coolant for many scientific and industrial applications, but also the only propellant for rockets making it integral to space exploration and launching satellites. It has the same purpose in a rocket as the gas in your deodorant can: to push the important contents out at high speed. Back on earth though, it is used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, superconducting magnets, and particle accelerators.

Being inert, it has many industrial uses such as in welding, manufacture of semiconductors, manufacture of fibre optic cables, in laboratory equipment and many more. The world became acutely aware of the global semiconductor shortage after COVID, and this gave rise to increasing geopolitical tension over Taiwan’s sheer dominance in their manufacture. What few realise is that one of the primary reasons for the shortage of semiconductors was the critical short supply of helium over the period, which is now creating a significant opportunity for helium producers given the US’s approval of the recent stimulus package to construct semiconductor factories in the US, thus creating significantly more demand for this gas.

As technology advances, the uses of helium will only continue to increase. Its unique properties make it an essential part of modern life, and its importance will only grow in the years to come.

New technologies such as quantum computing and fusion (endless clean energy) are only possible with vast quantities of helium, in much the same way that most modern nuclear reactors have a helium cycle to transfer the heat from the reactor to the steam boiler to eliminate the risk of contamination in the event of a malfunction.

Most of the elements on the period table have a substitute of one kind or another, and in this regard helium is truly unique. It exhibits properties not shared with other gases, and as a result if the world were to run out of helium, most of our modern technology we enjoy would disappear along with it. This presents an interesting challenge however, as its most famous property is that it is lighter than air. If you release it, such as letting a balloon fly away for example, the helium escapes earth’s gravity and leaves the planet. This is not true of any other commodity we use. With sufficient money and resources, everything can be recycled, but not helium making it the world’s truly only diminishing resource.

Many ask if it can be made in a laboratory, and the short answer is yes. The full answer is that man-made helium costs around US$14 million per kilogram and is missing a neutron; in over 70 years the planet has only stockpiled 26 kilograms of this stuff. It’s called Helium-3, an exceedingly rare isotope of helium that when it comes near a radioactive source changes to normal helium and alerts you to the presence of the radioactivity. Clearly, guessing its purpose isn’t very difficult. It has been discovered on the surface of the moon in parts per million, and the Chinese government has now begun making plans to mine it on the moon and bring it back to earth.

And you thought party balloons were the fun part!

THIS ARTICLE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY