Helium
(information)
Certainly! Here's a breakdown of the **20 most common uses of helium**, ranked by their share of global consumption as of 2023:
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### 🔝 Top 5 Helium-Consuming Sectors (2023)
1. **Cryogenics (Supercooling)**
* **Share:** Approximately **23%** of global helium consumption.
* **Details:** Liquid helium is essential for cooling superconducting magnets in MRI machines, NMR spectrometers, and particle accelerators. ([IDTechEx][1])
2. **Semiconductor & Electronics Manufacturing**
* **Share:** Around **15%**.
* **Details:** Helium serves as a carrier gas and reaction mediator in semiconductor manufacturing, aiding in wafer production and etching processes. ([Mordor Intelligence][2])
3. **Aerospace & Defense**
* **Share:** Approximately **13%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used to pressurize fuel tanks, purge propulsion systems, and cool liquid hydrogen and oxygen in rocket launches. ([Investguiding][3])
4. **Medical Applications**
* **Share:** Around **17%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used in MRI machines, respiratory therapy (heliox), and cryosurgery. ([Reuters][4])
5. **Controlled Atmospheres (Fiber Optics, Semiconductors)**
* **Share:** Approximately **15%**.
* **Details:** Helium provides an inert atmosphere for manufacturing fiber optics and semiconductors, preventing oxidation and contamination. ([Frontiers][5], [Canada Energy Regulator][6])
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### 🧪 Other Notable Helium Applications
6. **Welding (Shielding Gas)**
* **Share:** Approximately **8%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used as a shielding gas in welding to protect the weld area from atmospheric gases. ([U.S. Geological Survey Publications][7])
7. **Leak Detection**
* **Share:** Approximately **6%**.
* **Details:** Helium's small atomic size makes it ideal for detecting leaks in high-vacuum systems and pipelines.
8. **Weather Balloons**
* **Share:** Approximately **5%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used to fill weather balloons for atmospheric research. ([The Most 10][8])
9. **Party Balloons**
* **Share:** Approximately **4%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used to fill party balloons for decorative purposes.
10. **Diving Mixtures (Heliox)**
* **Share:** Approximately **3%**.
* **Details:** Helium is mixed with oxygen to create heliox, reducing nitrogen narcosis in deep-sea diving.
11. **Cryogenic Transfer**
* **Share:** Approximately **3%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used in the transfer of cryogenic liquids in laboratory and industrial settings.
12. **Laser Systems**
* **Share:** Approximately **2%**.
* **Details:** Helium-neon lasers and excimer lasers use helium as a buffer gas.
13. **Cooling Superconducting Electronics**
* **Share:** Approximately **2%**.
* **Details:** Helium ensures stable operation in highly sensitive superconducting electronics.
14. **Superfluid Research**
* **Share:** Approximately **2%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used in experiments to study superfluidity at temperatures near absolute zero.
15. **Quantum Computing**
* **Share:** Approximately **2%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used in the cooling systems of quantum computers.
16. **Nuclear Reactors**
* **Share:** Approximately **2%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used as a coolant in certain types of nuclear reactors.
17. **Cosmetics**
* **Share:** Approximately **1%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used in various cosmetic products for its cooling properties.
18. **Photography**
* **Share:** Approximately **1%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used in photographic processing to fix images.
19. **Leather Industry**
* **Share:** Approximately **1%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used in the tanning process.
20. **Paints and Coatings**
* **Share:** Approximately **1%**.
* **Details:** Helium is used as a dispersing agent in paints and coatings.
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If you would like a visual representation or further details on any of these applications, feel free to ask!
[1]: https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/helium-for-semiconductors/1025?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Helium for Semiconductors and Beyond 2025-2035: Market, Trends ..."
[2]: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/helium-market?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Helium Market - Size, Analysis & Share - Mordor Intelligence"
[3]: https://investguiding.com/articles/who-is-the-biggest-consumer-of-helium?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Who is the biggest consumer of helium? (2025) - Investguiding"
[4]: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/helium-demand-double-by-2035-tracking-chip-production-boom-report-says-2024-09-09/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Helium demand to double by 2035, tracking chip production boom, report says"
[5]: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.1028471/full?utm_source=chatgpt.com "frontiersin.org/journals..."
[6]: https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/market-snapshots/2022/market-snapshot-helium-its-not-just-for-balloons.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com "CER – Market Snapshot: Helium – it’s Not Just for Balloons"
[7]: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2025/mcs2025-helium.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com "mcs2025.pdf - Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025"
[8]: https://www.themost10.com/what-are-the-top-10-uses-of-helium/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "What Are The Top 10 Uses Of Helium"
Known Methods of Extraction
### **Primary Methods (Commercial Scale)**
1. **Natural Gas Processing**:
- Helium is extracted as a byproduct from natural gas containing helium concentrations (typically >0.3%).
- Involves cooling and separating helium using cryogenic distillation or pressure-swing adsorption (PSA).
2. **Cryogenic Distillation**:
- Separates helium from natural gas by cooling the gas mixture to extremely low temperatures.
- Helium remains gaseous while other components (e.g., methane, nitrogen) liquefy.
3. **Pressure-Swing Adsorption (PSA)**:
- Uses adsorbent materials (like activated carbon or zeolites) to selectively separate helium at specific pressures.
4. **Membrane Separation**:
- Helium is separated from natural gas using specialized membranes that allow helium to pass through more readily than other gases.
5. **Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Plants**:
- During LNG production, helium is separated from methane and other hydrocarbons.
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### **Alternative Sources**
6. **Helium Extraction from Helium-Rich Wells**:
- Some natural gas fields (e.g., in the U.S. and Qatar) have helium concentrations exceeding 7%, making direct extraction more feasible.
7. **Extraction from Carbon Dioxide Wells**:
- Certain carbon dioxide wells (e.g., in the U.S.) contain significant helium, which can be separated during CO₂ processing.
8. **Extraction from Oil Fields**:
- Helium is sometimes found dissolved in crude oil and can be captured during oil processing.
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### **Unconventional and Emerging Methods**
9. **Atmospheric Extraction**:
- Helium is present in trace amounts (~5 ppm) in the atmosphere. Extraction is highly energy-intensive but is being explored with advanced adsorption and compression technologies.
10. **Uranium and Thorium Decay**:
- Helium-4 is produced as a byproduct of radioactive decay in minerals like uraninite. Mining and processing these minerals can release helium.
11. **Basalt Rock Extraction**:
- Certain basalt formations trap helium; innovative methods are being developed to extract helium from these rocks.
12. **Helium Extraction from Volcanic Gases**:
- Volcanic emissions contain trace amounts of helium that could be extracted using adsorption techniques.
13. **Coal Bed Methane Extraction**:
- Helium can be captured during methane extraction from coal seams.
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### **Experimental and Future Methods**
14. **Direct Air Capture**:
- Technologies similar to CO₂ air capture are being adapted to extract helium from ambient air.
15. **Nuclear Reaction Products**:
- Helium can be harvested from nuclear reactors where alpha particle emissions create helium gas.
16. **Deep Earth Helium Reserves**:
- Advanced drilling techniques are being explored to access deep helium reservoirs.
17. **Geothermal Steam**:
- Helium dissolved in geothermal steam is a potential resource, though recovery is not yet widespread.
18. **Asteroid or Lunar Mining**:
- In the long term, extraterrestrial sources (e.g., lunar regolith with helium-3) may become viable.
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### **Recycling and Recovery**
19. **Recycling Helium from Industrial Use**:
- Helium used in industries like MRI machines and welding can be captured, purified, and reused.
20. **Leak Recovery Systems**:
- Helium leaks from industrial processes can be recovered using specialized vacuum and absorption systems.
