Helium: The Gas that Wouldn’t Burn

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In May 1903, the citizens of Dexter, Kansas were pinning their economic hopes on an unprecedentedly large natural gas reserve from which nine million cubic feet of gas escaped before it finally could be capped, prompting the people to dub it “the howling well” (“Discovery of Helium”). The small town’s population, thinking this discovery heralded an economic boom, decided to create a pillar of flame out of the escaping gas in celebration but they were about to be in for a big surprise. The excited congregation watched as a burning haybale was slowly moved towards the well. To the surprise and shock of the onlookers, as soon as the the haybale came into contact with the escaping gas, the fire went out. They tried several more times but the same thing happened, what ever this strange chemical was, it was not going to burn. When the mysterious gas was examined more closely, it was discovered to be only 15% methane, the combustible gas expected to comprise the majority of the sample. Besides this staggeringly low methane content, the sample contained 12% of an unidentifiable “inert residue” (“Discovery of Helium”). Another sample of the gas was taken to the University of Kansas where they analyzed it further. The results of these tests showed the mysterious residue to be helium (“Discovery of Helium”). Helium is the second simplest atom, and the second lightest element in the universe ( Rose). This discovery in Dexter took helium from an almost theoretical substance, to the least reactive gas available on an industrial scale, helium became the key to many advanced industrial processes, and now that the United States had more helium than it knew what to do with people started to devise ways helium could be used within American industry...

... middle of paper ...

... 08 Dec. 2013.
National Research Council, National Materials Advisory Board, and Committee on Understanding the Impact of Selling the Helium Reserve. Selling the Nation's Helium Reserve. Washington: National Academies, 2010. Print.
Rose, Melinda. "Helium: Up, Up and Away?" Photonics.com. Laurin Publishing, Oct. 2008. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
Scott, Jack June. "Ban Mylar Balloons." Latimes.com. Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2008. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
Trancossi, Michele, Antonio Dumas, Mauro Madonia, Jose Pascoaa, and Dean Vucinic. "Hydrogen Fire-safe Airship System Design." Academia.edu. SAE International Journal of Aerospace, Oct. 2012. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
"What Is Helium Leak Detection." Heliumleakdetection.net. HVS Leak Detection, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
Winter, Mark. "The Essentials." WebElements Periodic Table of the Elements. University of Sheffield, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.

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