<
https://boingboing.net/2026/04/13/thanks-trump-heres-what-happens-when-the-world-runs-low-on-helium.html>
"Helium boils at 4.2 kelvin — colder than anything else on the periodic table.
Superconducting magnets in MRI machines must be kept below 9.2 kelvin, and
liquid helium is the only practical coolant to achieve this. (Liquid hydrogen
boils at 20 kelvin. Liquid nitrogen at 77. Nothing else comes close.)
Qatar produces about a third of the world's helium, and the closure of the
Strait of Hormuz — a consequence of Trump's Iran war — has disrupted those
shipments.
Construction Physics breaks down why there's no quick fix: helium
is a byproduct of natural gas extraction, not something you can ramp up
independently, and the US sold off its strategic reserve in 2024.
MRI machines consume 17% of US helium. Semiconductor manufacturing accounts for
25% of worldwide EUV lithography machines, which make the chips in every modern
device, use helium because it absorbs almost no extreme ultraviolet radiation.
Fiber optic production uses 5-6%, with no known alternative. NASA is the single
largest US user of aerospace purging. Scientific research takes 22%.
Most helium is used once and vented. Recycling systems can cut consumption by
90% or more, but they require upfront investment that most labs and hospitals
haven't made. Semiconductor demand is projected to grow fivefold by 2035,
driven by EUV expansion."
Via Joyce Donahue.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
