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Key Takeaways:
1. Helium, a colourless, odourless, gas – the first of the six noble gases in the periodic table – is a non-renewable resource which, despite being the second most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen, is rare on Earth. Helium escapes Earth’s gravity due to its low atomic mass, making it difficult to store naturally.
2. Helium is inert — it does not react with other substances or combust — and its atomic number is 2, making it the second lightest element after hydrogen.
3. Helium is produced commercially by extracting it from natural gas by a process known as cryogenic distillation. Qatar is the world’s third largest exporter of natural gas after the United States and Russia.
Applications of Helium
1. Helium in MRI machines: Helium is critical for operating MRI machines. Helium in its liquid state is used to cool the intensely powerful superconducting magnets that are at the heart of MRI machines.
— The superconducting coils work at cryogenic temperatures, and helium, which is chemically inert and has the lowest boiling point of any element (minus 269 degrees Celsius), is the only practical coolant for these machines.
2. Use of helium in spacecraft and rockets: Rockets need to achieve specific speeds and altitude to reach and maintain orbit. A heavier rocket requires more energy, not only increasing fuel consumption but also needing more powerful engines, which are more expensive to develop, test, and maintain.
— Helium has a very low boiling point, allowing it to remain a gas even in super-cold environments, an important feature because many rocket fuels are stored in that temperature range.
— Helium is used to pressurise fuel tanks, ensuring fuel flows to the rocket’s engines without interruption; and for cooling systems. As fuel and oxidiser are burned in the rocket’s engines, helium fills the resulting empty space in the tanks, maintaining the overall pressure inside. Because it is non-reactive, it can safely mingle with the tanks’ residual contents
3. Use of helium in balloons and airships: Helium is also used as a lifting gas in balloons and airships. As with any gas whose density differs from that of air, inhaling a small volume of helium temporarily changes the timbre and quality of the human voice.
BEYOND THE NUGGET: Hydrogen
1. Hydrogen, the most common element in nature, exists only in combination with other elements, and has to be extracted from naturally occurring compounds like water (which is a combination of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom). It is a clean molecule, but the process of extracting it is energy intensive.
2. While hydrogen’s potential as a clean fuel source has a history of nearly 150 years, it was only after the oil price shocks of the 1970s that the possibility of hydrogen replacing fossil fuels came to be considered seriously.
3. The sources and processes by which hydrogen is derived are categorised by colour tabs. Hydrogen produced from fossil fuels is called grey hydrogen. Currently, most of the hydrogen produced for industrial consumption and applications is grey hydrogen.
4. Hydrogen generated from fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage options is called blue hydrogen.
5. Green hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced from water electrolysis—splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen—by using renewable energy-powered electrolysers. It is considered a virtually emission-free pathway for hydrogen production.
6. There are particular benefits to green hydrogen:
(i) It is a clean burning molecule that can be used to decarbonize a variety of industries, such as transportation, chemicals, and iron and steel.
(ii) Hydrogen can be produced by channeling renewable energy that the grid is unable to store or use.
Post Read Question
Consider the following statements with reference to helium:
1. Helium is a non-renewable resource and is chemically inert in nature.
2. It is the most abundant element in the universe but rare on Earth.
3. It has the lowest boiling point among all elements.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
(Sources: Will the war in the Gulf impact MRI services in India?, What is helium and why is it used in rockets?, Knowledge Nugget: What you must know about India’s green hydrogen plants for the UPSC exam)
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Helium has a very low boiling point, allowing it to remain a gas even in super-cold environments. (Image: AI-generated) 
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