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개요Helium is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless monoatomic gas with an atomic weight of 4, a density of 1.78 g per 1 at 0°C and 1 atmosphere pressure, and an aqueous solubility of 0.97 mL per 100 mL at 50°C. The Bunsen solubility coefficient (the volume, in mL, of gas at standard conditions dissolved per mL of liquid).of helium at 38°C is 0.0086 in water, and 0.015 in olive oil. After hydrogen, helium is the most abundant element in the universe; these elements are believed to represent 76 and 23 percent, respectively, of all matter in the universe. The earth’s atmosphere, however, contains only 5 ppm of helium. Mineral gases from wells contain higher concentrations and serve as the principal source for industrial production. Helium is chemically very inert; it has a weak tendency to combine with other elements such as fluorine. It is usually marketed as compressed gas, with the USP grade containing not less than 99 percent helium.The largest biological use of helium is the replacement for nitrogen in synthetic breathing gas mixtures for divers and others working under high pressure conditions. The low solubility in body fluids compared to nitrogen decreases the danger of bends on depressurizing.

용도Helium is used as an inert gas shield in arc welding, as a lifting gas for lighter-than-air aircraft, and as a gaseous cooling medium in nuclear reactors. It is also used to provide a protective atmosphere for growing germanium and silicon crystals for transistors, to provide a protective atmosphere in the production of such reactive metals as titanium and zirconium, to fill cold-weather fluorescent lamps, to trace leaks in refrigeration and other closed systems, and to fill neutron and gas thermometers. Its thermal conductivity makes it an important gas for lasers and fiber optic production. It is used extensively in chromatography due to its inertness and high thermal conductivity. It is used in cryogenic research such as for superconductivity. In mixtures with oxygen, it has medical and diving applications. Radioactive mixtures of helium with krypton are available to users licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NASA uses helium for purging and pressurizing the liquid hydrogen tanks of spacecraft because it is the only element that remains a gas in the extreme cold necessary to maintain the liquid hydrogen fuel used in many rockets and the Space Shuttle. Liquid helium is used for cooling superconductive magnets, used in magnetic resonance imaging, and in magnetic separation.

일반 설명A colorless, odorless, noncombustible gas. Can asphyxiate. Inhalation causes the voice to become squeaky (Mickey Mouse voice). Exposure of the container to prolonged heat or fire can cause HELIUM to rupture violently and rocket. If liquefied, contact of the very cold liquid with water causes violent boiling. Pressures may build to dangerous levels if the liquid contacts water in a closed container. Used in arc welding, to trace leaks in refrigeration and other closed systems and as a lifting gas for lighter-than-air aircraft.

생산 방법Helium is produced mostly by extraction from natural gas. The process involves cooling the stream of natural gas at sufficient low temperatures and high pressures to liquefy and separate all hydrocarbons, nitrogen and other gases from gaseous helium. The ‘crude’ helium gas may be purified further by repeated liquefaction of methane, nitrogen and other impurities under pressure. Trace hydrocarbons may be removed by adsorption on activated charcoal at liquid nitrogen temperature. Water may be removed by drying over a dehydrating agent such as bauxite. Carbon dioxide may be removed by passing helium through a scrubbing solution containing monoethanolamine-ethylene glycol or similar substances. Trace hydrogen may be removed from helium by converting it into water by mixing with oxygen and passing the mix over a palladium catalyst. Final purification may be achieved by adsorbing remaining trace contaminants over activated charcoal at liquid nitrogen temperature.Alternatively, helium may be separated from natural gas by diffusion through permeable barriers, such as high silica glass or semipermeable membranes. The gas is supplied commercially in steel cylinders or tanks. The United States is the largest producer of helium in the world.