Helium
Also known as Atomic helium, Helium-4, p-Helium
Key facts
What buyers check first
- Appearance
- Colorless gas
- Melting point
- -272.2 °C
- Boiling point
- -268.9 °C
- Density
- 1.64 g/L
- Solubility
- Very slightly soluble in water: at 0 °C, 0.97 mL/100 mL, at 50 °C, 1.08 mL/100 mL
- HS code
- 280429
- Category
- Metals, alloys and elements
- UN number
- UN 1046
What is Helium?
Plain description, key identifiers and synonyms
Helium(0) is a monoatomic helium. It has a role as a NMR chemical shift reference compound and a member of food packaging gas.
Helium is a chemical element with symbol He and atomic number 2, rare gas, noble gas.
Identifiers
Registry numbers, names and line notations, tap to copy
- IUPAC name
- helium
- CAS number
- 7440-59-7 CAS number cross-checkedOther or deprecated CAS: 71086-78-7
- EC numbers
- 231-168-5, 275-187-7
- Molecular formula
- He
- UNII
- 206GF3GB41
- InChIKey
- SWQJXJOGLNCZEY-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- InChI
- InChI=1S/He
- SMILES (canonical and isomeric)
- [He]
Synonyms
- Atomic helium
- Helium-4
- p-Helium
- O-Helium
- Helium (USP)
- Helium 4
- INS NO.939
- Helium, usp
- He
- helio
- helium atom
- [He]
- helium(0)
- Helium element
- Element Helium
- Element:Helium
- Element-He
- Element:He
- Helium (atomic)
- Helium (element)
- He (element)
- Helium, compressed
- Hydridohelium(1+) ion
- Helium, compressed [UN1046] [Nonflammable gas]
- Helium, >=99.995%
Show all 27 synonymsShow fewer synonyms
- Helium, >=99.999%
- Helium, Messer(R) CANGas, 99.999%
Physical and chemical properties
Measured values and descriptors computed from the structure
Physical and chemical properties
Measured values, check the supplier specification for your grade
| Appearance | Colorless gasexp.Measured value |
|---|---|
| Odour | Odorlessexp.Measured value |
| Taste | Tastelessexp.Measured value |
| Melting point | -272.2 °Cexp.Measured value |
| Boiling point | -268.9 °Cexp.Measured value |
| Density | 1.64 g/Lexp.Measured value |
| Solubility | Very slightly soluble in water: at 0 °C, 0.97 mL/100 mL, at 50 °C, 1.08 mL/100 mLexp.Measured value |
Values vary by grade. Ask suppliers for the COA or TDS of the batch you buy.
Computed descriptors
Calculated from the structure, useful for screening and formulation
| Molecular weight | 4.00 g/molcalc.Computed value |
|---|---|
| Exact mass | 4.0026 Dacalc.Computed value |
| LogP (octanol/water) | 0calc.Computed value |
| Topological polar surface area | 0 Ųcalc.Computed value |
| Hydrogen bond donors | 0calc.Computed value |
| Hydrogen bond acceptors | 0calc.Computed value |
| Rotatable bonds | 0calc.Computed value |
| Heavy atoms | 1calc.Computed value |
| Rings | 0calc.Computed value |
| Aromatic rings | 0calc.Computed value |
| Fraction sp3 carbons | 0calc.Computed value |
| Formal charge | 0calc.Computed value |
| Stereocentres | 0calc.Computed value |
Calculated for screening. Confirm critical figures with the supplier.
Safety and hazards
GHS classification summary, not a safety data sheet
Hazard statements
- H280Contains gas under pressure, may explode if heated.
- H281Contains refrigerated gas, may cause cryogenic burns or injury.
Precautionary statements (4)
- P282Wear cold insulating gloves and either face shield or eye protection.
- P336 + P317Thaw frosted parts with lukewarm water. Do not rub affected area. Get medical help.
- P403Store in a well-ventilated place.
- P410 + P403Protect from sunlight. Store in a well-ventilated place.
- UN number
- UN 1046
- Transport hazard class
- 2.2
GHS classification summary, not a safety data sheet (SDS). Classifications can differ by supplier, grade and concentration. Always check the supplier's SDS.
Full safety data and first aidHelium suppliers
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- Russia, Moscow ManufacturerUnclaimed profileHeliumGrade, purity and minimum order on requestPrice on request
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Where suppliers are based
128 suppliers in 48 countries
- United States19
- China12
- India10
- South Korea9
- Canada4
- Turkey4
- and 42 more countries
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Helium price
Indicative price range per kg from live supplier offers
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Uses and applications
What the substance is used for, by industry and function
Liquid helium (the most volatile liquid known) as cryogen for the production of low temps, in MRI machines. Gas in manufacture of semiconducting devices, in detection devices for leaks in vacuum systems, in Ne-He lasers, in gas mixtures as the working fluid in plasma devices, in mixtures with Ne and Ar in Geiger counters. Q-Gas, a mixture of 98.7% He and 1.3% butane, has been used as a filing for gas-flow Geiger counters.
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Gas as a shield in gas tungsten-arc welding, in metal processing, substitute for N2 in synthetic breathing gas for deep sea divers and workers in high pressure conditions, coolant in high temperature nuclear reactors, carrier gas in gas-liquid and gas-solid chromatography, inert diluent, to create inert atmosphere, to fill balloons and airships.
Cooling medium for nuclear reactors, gas for supersonic wind tunnels.
Inert atmosphere (growing germanium and silicon crystals), magnetohydrodynamics, luminous signs, geological dating.
Helium is essential to many high-technology processes ... the production of optical glass fibers, in which it serves as a coolant and as a carrier gas for the chlorine used for the removal of hydroxyl groups.
Industrial uses: Processing aids, specific to petroleum production, Heat transferring agent.
Use classes: Food additives, Animal Drugs.
Industries and functions
Roles
- NMR chemical shift reference compound
- additive
- food additive
- food component
- food packaging gas
- physiological role
- reference compound
Functional uses
- Processing aids not otherwise specified
Pharmacology
Helium is a gaseous element with atomic symbol He, atomic number 2, and atomic weight 4.00.
How it is made
The production of pure helium from natural gas requires three basic processing steps. First, is the removal of impurities. Water, carbon dioxide, and sulfides are removed by scrubbing with monoethanolamine and diethylene glycol, followed by drying with alumina. Then the natural gas is concentrated in helium as the higher boiling hydrocarbons are liquefied and collected. Crude helium, concentrated to perhaps 70% and containing nitrogen, argon, neon, and hydrogen, undergoes final purification at pressures up to 18.7 MPa (2700 psi).
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The crude material is chilled to 77 deg K in liquid nitrogen-cooled coils of a heat exchanger. Under the high pressure, the low temperature liquefies most of the remaining nitrogen and argon, allowing the helium together with last traces of nitrogen, neon, and hydrogen to separate. Evaporation of nitrogen reduces the temperature and nitrogen content of the helium before it passes into liquid-nitrogen-cooled adsorbers. Activated charcoal operating at liquid nitrogen temperatures or below is capable of adsorbing all nonhelium gases. Hence, passage through these adsorbers yields helium that exceeds 99.9999% in purity.
Helium may ... be separated from natural gas using a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processes to recover helium at >99.99% purity. This type of process is probably less costly for the production of gaseous helium but might be uneconomical for liquefied helium production.
Regulatory status
Inventories, regulations and trade controls that list this substance
Health and food
- Active ingredient in FDA approved drug labels
- Food additive
United States
- TSCA inventory (USA)Status: Active in US commerce
HS code and trade data
Customs classification and reported world trade statistics
Global trade
World import and export statistics for the HS code Helium is traded under.
Rare gases, other
- Qatar * partner reported34.3%
- United States22.9%
- Algeria * partner reported6.8%
- China17.8%
- South Korea12.7%
- Germany9.4%
* Partner reported figures, a lower bound.
The HS code shown for Helium is indicative (it was assigned by structure rules). Confirm the classification with your customs broker before shipping.
Related chemicals
Parent and salt forms, stereoisomers, similar structures and isomers
Stereoisomers and isotopic forms
Same connectivity, different stereochemistry or isotopes (same InChIKey skeleton)
Similar structures
Nearest neighbours by Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto similarity
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Helium, based on the data on this page
What is Helium?
What is the CAS number of Helium?
What is the molecular formula and weight of Helium?
What is Helium used for?
Is Helium hazardous?
What is the HS code of Helium?
Where can I buy Helium?
Where can I buy Helium in India?
What is the price of Helium?
Guides for buyers
Practical guides that help when you source, ship or handle Helium
- Guide, SafetyHow to read a safety data sheet in 10 minutesA section by section method to pull the essentials out of any 16 section SDS: identity, hazards, composition, storage, PPE, properties, transport and emergency measures.Read
- Guide, Trade and logisticsShipping dangerous goods: UN numbers, classes and packing groupsHow the UN dangerous goods system works for chemicals, from the nine classes and UN numbers to packing groups, UN packaging marks, labels, documents and segregation.Read
- Guide, SafetyGHS pictograms, signal words and hazard statements explainedA practical guide to the nine GHS pictograms, the signal words Danger and Warning, H and P statements, and how to read a chemical label in seconds.Read
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