The Surprising Applications of Helium Outside of Balloons

We’ve looked at some handy hints for your domestic helium and balloon use, but the uses of helium outside of Tommy’s sixth birthday party are genuinely mind blowing! From applications in futuristic science experiments to bigger than average balloons, helium is a truly versatile gas and is a star in its own right.

Particle Accelerators

Liquid helium is a super refrigerant that is able to cool things down to minus 267 degrees Celsius, so don’t touch this if you value your fingers! The fact is, no other coolant on the Earth can compare to helium!

This is used to cool superconducting equipment in particle accelerators, including the Large Hadron Collider, which can be several miles long and require cooling at every point. As such they use staggering amounts of helium. However, once the helium fills the accelerator it is continuously reused and only needs to be topped up very occasionally as a result of minor leakages every year.

Brain Cell Research

Labs use liquid helium to cool equipment that will only work at super cool temperatures. So, devices such as the ones that measure miniscule magnetic fields for brain cell research require helium as a necessity. In some cases liquid nitrogen might be used, but it cannot reach the same low temperatures as helium.

Space Shuttles

NASA uses liquid helium to clean out their fuel tanks: true, liquid hydrogen and oxygen are use to propel these large tin cans into space, but it is the versatile helium that keeps them clean! The tanks are super cold and any other liquid would freeze, clogging the pipes. It is also inert, which means that it won’t combust with any left-over oxygen in the tanks and combust. This means it’s a vital component in space shuttle ground safety!

Really, Really Big Balloons

The party balloon industry uses ‘significant amounts’ of helium according to the National Research Council, but they are not the only balloons that helium goes into. Weather balloons, research balloons and military survey balloons all use huge amounts of helium to stay afloat. There is even talk of a huge, permanent, balloon which would be deployed to continuously survey US skies for missiles.

Whilst, the helium canisters we have on offer certainly won’t fill such a behemoth, it will be more than enough for your average birthday party needs.

Do you have any questions about your own helium uses and the right product for you? Our friendly team at Adams Gas are more than happy to help with your party helium needs, don’t hesitate to contact us at 0800 195 445 where we are ready and waiting to take your enquiries.