In announcing earlier this month that 45 Party City stores will close, CEO James M. Harrison also remarked on the company’s financial shortfalls in balloon sales, blaming the ongoing helium shortage. But scientists say this issue has an impact beyond birthday decorations.
Helium — He on the periodic table — is a “key element,” said Carlo Segre, a physics professor at Illinois Institute of Technology who uses helium in his research. Besides enabling balloons to float, helium has more essential uses. Sometimes it is the only option to cool metals or reactions that put off a lot of heat, like the magnetic reaction in MRI machines, in superconducting and welding.
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Despite being the second most abundant element on Earth, helium shortages have ebbed and flowed over the past several years, driving up the cost of the element. At floral or party stores, customers sometimes have been left with no balloons or very expensive ones because the shortage has made helium harder to come by, especially for less critical uses.
“I’ve always thought party balloons were a bad idea for exactly that,” Segre said.
In times when helium is harder to find and more expensive to buy, the general public notices most when going to buy a balloon because suppliers prioritize the element’s uses, Segre said. Here are five things to know about helium and its demand:
1. Helium is a light element, less dense than air, which is why the gas causes balloons and blimps to float, and that’s also how it can easily escape if not collected and stored properly in reserves, Segre said. Helium continues to be produced under the Earth’s crust, but very slowly, he said. “We have the helium we have because it’s been happening for a long time.”
2. Helium is often used to cool things down. “Any time we want to cool something down to very low temps, helium is really our only choice,” Segre said. This can be done using liquid helium, or the more advanced helium refrigerators, he said. The use of a refrigerator, which is becoming more common, contains the helium for future use. Liquid helium, however, allows the gas to escape after a single use.
3. Helium is often found underground among other natural gases, but to be used, it must be separated out into its pure form, Segre said. That’s an expensive process, and it’s also costly to store, because of its light weight. Natural gas companies often do not do this because of the cost, Segre said. While the U.S. government in 1960 started filling a helium reserve in Texas with helium — at one time the largest source — the Bureau of Land Management began to sell off that reserve, and it’s now mostly gone, Segre said. That government reserve previously kept costs down.
4. The dwindling supply and higher cost has created a need to find new sources of helium underground, extract the gas and store it, despite the expense, Segre said. Once there’s more helium in reserve, costs could go down again, and “it will just keep going like that,” he said. “It’s the same as any natural resource. Prices fluctuate depending on demand and supply.”
5. Shawn Coffey, owner of City Welding in Skokie, which sells various gases to local businesses, said the current shortage is perhaps the worst he’s seen. “I sell one third as much (helium) for two-thirds more.” Coffey also said the shortage mostly applies to balloon-grade helium — or helium that isn’t tested for purity, as it is when it’s sold for medical or scientific purposes. Suppliers tend to limit balloon-grade helium compared with more essential uses, he said.
But business owners who sell balloons, or use it for advertising or customer service reasons, still call Coffey, begging for helium, he said. Sometimes Coffey has to limit what he sells; sometimes he’s out. “People call panicked.”
kthayer@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @knthayer
[Party City plans to close 45 stores, eliminate plastic straws and boost its balloon business]
[Huge helium gas field found in Tanzania a 'game changer' amid global shortage]
As a seasoned expert in the field, my knowledge encompasses various aspects of helium, from its properties and applications to the challenges surrounding its availability. The article you provided touches upon the impact of a helium shortage on Party City stores and highlights the broader consequences beyond the realm of festive balloons. Let's delve into the key concepts mentioned in the article:
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Helium as a Key Element:
- Helium, denoted as He on the periodic table, is a crucial element with diverse applications beyond mere balloon inflation.
- Expert testimony from Carlo Segre, a physics professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, reinforces the significance of helium in scientific research.
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Helium Shortages and Financial Impact:
- Despite being the second most abundant element on Earth, helium shortages have occurred intermittently in recent years, impacting its cost and availability.
- Party City CEO James M. Harrison attributes the closure of 45 stores to financial shortfalls in balloon sales, citing the ongoing helium shortage as a contributing factor.
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Diverse Applications of Helium:
- Helium's role extends beyond party decorations; it is crucial in cooling metals and reactions that generate substantial heat.
- Examples include its use in MRI machines, superconducting applications, and welding processes.
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Helium Properties and Challenges:
- Helium's lightness, being less dense than air, enables balloons and blimps to float. However, it can easily escape if not collected and stored properly in reserves.
- The slow production of helium beneath the Earth's crust contributes to the challenges in maintaining a stable supply.
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Cooling Mechanisms and Helium Refrigeration:
- Helium is the preferred choice for cooling substances to very low temperatures, achieved through methods such as liquid helium or advanced helium refrigerators.
- The use of helium refrigerators helps contain the gas for future use, while liquid helium allows for a single-use escape.
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Extraction and Storage Challenges:
- Helium is often found underground among other natural gases, requiring extraction and purification for practical use.
- The expense of separating and storing helium, coupled with the light weight of the gas, poses economic challenges for natural gas companies.
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Government Reserves and Economic Impact:
- The U.S. government's establishment of a helium reserve in Texas in 1960 once helped stabilize costs. However, the subsequent sell-off by the Bureau of Land Management has contributed to the current supply issues.
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Supply and Demand Dynamics:
- The dwindling supply and increased costs have necessitated the exploration of new underground helium sources. The process of extraction, storage, and supply is subject to market dynamics, leading to fluctuations in prices.
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Impact on Businesses and Consumers:
- Business owners, like Shawn Coffey of City Welding, highlight the severity of the current helium shortage, particularly in balloon-grade helium.
- The shortage affects balloon sellers and businesses using helium for advertising or customer service, leading to panic among consumers.
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Global Perspectives on Helium:
- The article briefly mentions a helium gas field found in Tanzania, suggesting potential global impacts and the importance of discovering new helium sources.
In conclusion, the helium shortage discussed in the article reflects a complex interplay of scientific, economic, and market dynamics, emphasizing the broader implications of helium scarcity beyond the immediate concerns of party supplies.
