Helium shortage could deflate MRIs, manufacturing, and research

A global helium shortage could burst the bubble for all the businesses that rely on the weather balloons, large blimps, and, yes, the balloons and your kid's birthday.

But the shortage is potentially deflating for other purposes.

Helium is used in deep sea diving, airbags, cryogenics, rocket fuel, MRI machines and fiber optics and semiconductors.

"The shortage of helium which is present now and which we can anticipate, will increase, broadly, everybody," says Northwestern physics professor William Halperin.

Washington University Chemistry Professor Sophia Hayes agrees. "There are so many uses beyond party balloons," she says.

The shortages gained a lot of attention Thursday after Party City announced that it would be shutting down 45 stores this year.

Party City officials maintain the closings and the shortage are unrestricted and they are working to secure a new source of energy and a contract, which is subject to final approval.

Party City store closings 2019: 45 rentals being shuttered

Helium shortage 2019: Why it's harder to throw a party and fill balloons

Although there are long-term ramifications, experts say consumers may not feel the impact right away.

Many companies that rely on helium also say they're okay – for now.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber spokeswoman Emily Cropper said that while doing good jobs in the face of the world, it is not currently affected by helium shearing.

Corning spokesman Dan Collins says the material science utilizes helium for fiber optics, primarily in the telecommunications industry. But while Corning said, "Collins said it's all about its world-wide supply commitments for optical fiber and cable without disruption."

Airbag suppliers also painted an optimistic picture for now.

ZF North America, the U.S. arm of a top German airbags manufactures, uses a different combination of gasses for inflators.

"We are using helium, but it is a minor part of our component," said Tony Sapienza, head of ZF TRW North America. "We have no concerns on production with regard to helium at this time."

Likewise, the world's largest supplier of airbags, Autoliv, said it also affects the impact of its business impact.

"Spokesman Tom Hajkus says," We use a very small amount of helium to check for any leaks during our test phase.

Doctors' orders

From the consumer perspective, you should be able to get the MRI the doctor says you need. As Hayes explains, helium shortages have been simmering for a while and hospitals, have planned in advance.

Purpose Halperin means smaller hospitals are more vulnerable.

Hayes says that the MRIs you find in a hospital rely on a closed loop system where the helium circulates, in a manner that is similar to the cooling fluid in the radiator of your car. "The helium in such machines must only occasionally be topped off," she says.

Where the shortage may have a bigger impact, Hayes believes, it is specialized in the MRIs in a hospital that is employed by pharmaceutical companies and chemistry departments for research.

Instead of examining people and bodies, these machines, known as NMRs, discusses the structure of all chemicals.

"It's one of the most important machines for characterizing when you make something in a chemical lab," Hayes says. "Someday, maybe not today."

The shortage could possibly be passed down to the consumer, but it is likely to be passed down to the consumer. "Someone will pay somewhere," Hayes says.

Where helium comes from

Helium is extracted from natural gas mining and the National Helium Reserve, which is set to be shut down in 202. It was the source of about 30% of the world's supply.

Those most affected by its closure will be cryogenic users, Halperin says.

Qatar, Algeria and the United States, with possible new sources coming from Russia, and maybe Tanzania, though Hayes says the findings are preliminary.

Helium is non-renewable, and it has been estimated that the supply will last another 200 years.

"Some of us are urging recycling of helium," Hayes says. "That's hard to do and it requires a lot of engineering and is expensive."

Contributing: Kelly Tyko; Randy Essex, Detroit Free Press

Follow @edbaig on Twitter; @charissejones

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