What Is Helium Used For?

Helium is used for cooling MRI machines, inflating balloons, pressurizing rocket fuel tanks, and enabling deep-sea diving mixtures. It also serves in semiconductor manufacturing and as a protective gas in arc welding. 

In this article, we’ll explore helium’s versatile applications in more detail and explain why it remains essential for many specialized processes.

Medical Applications

The most notable medical use of helium is in cooling superconducting magnets in MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machines. These machines require temperatures near absolute zero (-269°C) to function properly, and liquid helium is the only practical coolant that can maintain these extreme conditions.

Helium is also used in respiratory treatments. When mixed with oxygen (known as heliox), it creates a breathing mixture that flows more easily through airways than pure oxygen.

This mixture helps patients with severe respiratory conditions, such as:

•  Asthma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Upper airway obstruction

The lower density of helium compared to nitrogen (which makes up 78% of air) reduces airway resistance, making breathing easier for these patients.

Industrial Manufacturing

Helium serves many critical functions in manufacturing, which are mainly aimed at improving product quality and safety.

Most notably, helium acts as a superior shielding gas in arc welding processes. Its inert nature prevents oxidation and other unwanted reactions that happen when metals are heated to high temperatures during welding.

This is especially important when working with reactive metals like:

• Aluminum
• Titanium
• Stainless steel

The high thermal conductivity of helium also enables faster welding speeds and deeper penetration, resulting in stronger welds.

The semiconductor industry relies heavily on helium for cooling during manufacturing processes. Helium’s inertness and thermal properties make it ideal for creating controlled atmospheres in chip production facilities, where even microscopic contamination can ruin entire batches of microprocessors.

Leak detection is another major industrial use of helium. Its small atomic size allows it to pass through tiny cracks and pores that other gases cannot penetrate.

This property makes it invaluable for testing the integrity of various systems that must remain airtight, such as automotive components, industrial equipment, and pressure vessels.

Technicians can pressurize systems with helium and then use specialized detectors to identify even the smallest leaks that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Scientific Research and Space Exploration

In cryogenics research, liquid helium lets scientists study superconductivity and other quantum phenomena that only occur at temperatures near absolute zero. These studies have led to breakthroughs in fields like:

• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Particle accelerators
• Quantum computing

Helium also plays a vital role in space exploration. NASA and private aerospace companies use it to pressurize rocket fuel tanks and purge fuel systems before launch.

The gas helps push fuel into rocket engines while maintaining a non-reactive environment that prevents explosions. Helium’s low boiling point also makes it ideal for purging and pressurizing systems in extreme temperature conditions encountered in space.

Weather balloons – essential tools for meteorologists – rely on helium’s lifting capability. These balloons carry instruments to high altitudes to collect atmospheric data crucial for weather forecasting and climate research.

Commercial and Everyday Uses

Beyond scientific and industrial applications, helium finds its way into various commercial products and everyday uses.

The most common application is in party balloons and decorative displays. Helium’s lifting ability and non-flammable nature make it the safe choice for inflatable decorations at celebrations, advertising blimps, and parade floats.

While this might seem trivial compared to medical or scientific applications, the balloon industry remains a significant consumer of helium globally.

Modern airbag systems in vehicles often use helium in their rapid inflation mechanisms. The gas’s low molecular weight allows for extremely fast deployment—crucial during the split-second timing of automobile collisions.

Finally, deep-sea diving operations utilize helium-oxygen mixtures (called heliox) in specialized breathing equipment, allowing divers to work at greater depths.

Explore Helium’s Many Uses

Helium’s properties make it irreplaceable in applications ranging from cutting-edge medical diagnostics to industrial manufacturing and scientific research. 

Understanding helium’s versatility helps appreciate why it remains a critical resource across multiple industries. Its limited supply and irreplaceability in certain applications highlight the importance of responsible use and conservation of this valuable industrial gas.