Skip to Main Content
  • English 
  • Русский 
  • Linde Worldwide
  • The Linde Group
  • Industrial Gases
    Ukraine

  • Helium
  • Helium
  •  
  • Language
    • English
    • Русский
  • Linde Worldwide
  • The Linde Group
  • Helium

Helium

Essential for cutting-edge and fun applications

The Helium Story

1868 is the year that marked the beginning of the helium story. Independently of each other, a French astronomer, Pierre Jules Cesar Janssen, and an English astronomer, Sir Joseph Lockyer, simultaneously identified a previously unknown element in the Sun’s spectrum.

Lockyer proposed to name this new substance helium, after Helios, the Greek god of the Sun. However, it was not until 1895 that the existence of this new element could be proven, when Sir William Ramsey, a Scottish chemist, discovered helium in uranium minerals on Earth and later in the atmosphere.

In 1903 helium was found in natural gas which has remained the main source of helium since.

Helium is colourless, odourless, non-toxic, non-corrosive and non-combustible.

With a value of 4.2 degrees Kelvin or –269 °C, it has the lowest boiling point of any gas and as a result, liquid helium is the coldest matter on Earth.

This is what makes it ideally suited to be used as cryogen in a number of cutting edge applications including superconductivity in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), particle physics  and other cryogenic applications.

As a gas the special properties of helium are used in many industries and processes such as diving, lifting, leak testing , automotive industry,  semiconductor manufacturing, cutting and welding, nanotechnology and for analytical purposes.

As a liquid, helium is supplied to the customers in special insulated ISO containers or dewars and as a gas in cylinders, multi cylinder packs (MCP’s) or in tube trailers.   

Linde operates one of the world’s largest helium plants in Otis, Kansas and several other facilities around the world including Algeria, Quatar and Australia.

Our network of more than 50 helium transfill facilities, located in all major helium markets around the Globe, provides the most reliable distribution network in the industry.

Application specialist
  • Ask our application specialist

    Email us
    • Terms of Use
    • Legal Notice
    • Data protection
  • © Linde 2019

To enhance your user experience and to deliver our online services, this website uses cookies for reasons of functionality, comfort and statistics. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
You can find out more on our data protection information.
You must check the "I accept cookies from Linde Sites" box to accept.
More