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Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / No more Helium
- - By iwannaweld (*) Date 10-07-2008 02:29
I heard my form my weld instructor that helium is going to run out . Any input from anybody else.
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 10-07-2008 06:21
Not likely

Helium is gathered as a byproduct of natural gas mining operations. So when the natural gas runs out the helium will be quite scarce. When that happens Heli-arc and floaty baloons will be the least of our worries.

Our friends at Wikipedia say this:

"Helium is the second lightest element and is the second most abundant in the observable Universe. Most helium was formed during the Big Bang, but new helium is being created as a result of the nuclear fusion of hydrogen in stars. On Earth, helium is relatively rare and is created by the natural radioactive decay of some elements, as alpha particles that are emitted consist of helium nuclei. This radiogenic helium is trapped with natural gas in concentrations up to seven percent by volume, from which it is extracted commercially by a low-temperature separation process called fractional distillation."
Parent - By TRC (***) Date 10-07-2008 21:48
WOOOOW Lawrence you did it again!!!!!!
Parent - - By iwannaweld (*) Date 10-08-2008 01:42
That sounds alot better than anything my instructor has told us. I was having trouble believing that it would run out. He said that we didnt have any real efficient way to gather it from the concentrations because of it being such an inert gas. Why doe they use a low temperature seperation?
Parent - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 10-08-2008 04:13
iwanaweld: At Low temperatures and high pressures the gases become liquid, each at it's own temperature for a given pressure. This is a similar process to refining oil or making moonshine, just the temperatures and pressures are different.
Parent - - By thewelder (***) Date 10-08-2008 03:33 Edited 10-08-2008 05:42
My hat off for you Lawrence and for you daveboyer too.
Parent - By 803056 (*****) Date 10-08-2008 04:16
Excellent!

Best regards - Al
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / No more Helium

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