Helium’s use extends beyond balloons

Helium is something you probably don’t think much about unless you are buying balloons. It’s also something you may periodically have a hard time finding when you walk into a local party planning store hours before the guests arrive for that birthday party that you have been planning.

That’s because helium is a non-renewable resource in an industry dominated by an unusual infrastructure. Even though Helium is one of the most common gases in the universe, it’s a rarity on earth.

Helium became the interest to the military in World War I, not only because it provides lift, but also because of its inertness. Helium has a host of other applications. It serves as a coolant in magnetic resonance imaging machines in hospitals and in nuclear reactors. It is also used as a protective gas in arc welders.