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CascadingMonkeys t1_isny9wf wrote

And we waste it on balloons, despite the fact that it is a finite resource.

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WahooSS238 t1_iso6916 wrote

The US strategic helium reserve will last for about a century at the current consumption rate. After that, helium will have to be pulled from the atmosphere. It’s more expensive than mining it, but we already use the same process for gases with a lower concentration. We’re not running out of helium.

That said, fuck balloons.

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nzhockeyfan t1_isofukf wrote

Think you're getting some terms mixed up. The "national Helium Reserve" is a storage facility that is being drawn down because the us government doesn't think it's necessary anymore. When talking about a resource, helium reserves are how much there is available that can be produced at current prices. A resource is the total amount known about, even if it is too expensive to produce now. I didn't see your 100 year figure, but if it is the reserve, then when the price goes up, more will be added to the reserve.

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PuffyPanda200 t1_ispb3un wrote

There are reserves in Africa

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Jaggedmallard26 t1_isphhw7 wrote

There are reserves everywhere, helium is an incredibly common fission product and thanks to the Earths core being a giant radioactive sphere more is constantly being pumped into the Earth. Then because helium is so small it easy travels through permeable rocks and builds up. The amount of helium vented every day during natural gas extraction is mind boggling.

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Orvanis t1_iso0n4q wrote

While I don't disagree that balloons are a massive waste, there are different "grades" of helium, and these MRI machines require one of the purest forms/grades. Balloons typically use the lowest grade.

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Terror_from_the_deep t1_iso48gm wrote

Yes, but the atomic helium is what is in short supply. We can refine the low grade helium and must.

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ladan2189 t1_isp4opv wrote

Atomic helium? Are you suggesting that molecular helium is a thing lol

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Terror_from_the_deep t1_isp9s6i wrote

No, just clarifying that even if the gas is 'dirty' what we want are the helium atoms, and we can purify the gas as much as we need. It doesn't matter if it's a lower grade we should still preserve it is all I meant.

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Isopbc t1_isp96z4 wrote

Well, alpha particles are a thing, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what OP meant either.

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5up3rK4m16uru t1_ispe0jt wrote

It can form compounds with Sodium. And you only need about a million atmospheres of pressure to keep it stable.

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Neokon t1_isp1l3v wrote

Why don't we just make helium? I mean if the sun can do it, then how hard can controlled fusion be?

/S Incase it wasn't obvious

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Jaggedmallard26 t1_isphnpv wrote

> Why don't we just make helium

Its fairly easy the same way we "make" iron or other common metals. We mine it because its abundant in the earths crust compared to what we require. There is no helium shortage, there is one national stockpile running low and a huge amount being vented because the national stockpile makes capture uneconomical.

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Neokon t1_ispllxs wrote

Dude it was a /s it was meant as a joke. I thought the controlled fusion would be a bit of a tip off.

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BattleHall t1_ispbxqh wrote

Well, yes and no. Helium is actually a byproduct of natural gas extraction, but generally it’s not separated and captured (which is certainly possible) because it wasn’t economical. If wholesale helium prices were to rise beyond a certain point, those supplies would almost certainly come online.

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WormRabbit t1_ispz6oq wrote

It's not a finite resource. Helium is among the most common byproducts of nuclear fission (not fusion). Every nuclear reactor produces plenty of helium. In fact, the war in Ukraine had a noticeable effect on helium supply, because Ukraine has many nuclear reactors.

Consequently, it is also renewable within the Earth's crust, though I don't know whether it renews fast enough to matter.

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Skud_NZ t1_isoychh wrote

I've never heard of a liquid helium balloon

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