What are the sources for the production of helium and argon?

Helium, the second element in the periodic table, is not just for filling balloons; it plays critical roles in various fields such as medicine, science, and industry. The production of helium begins in the heart of stars. Through a process called nuclear fusion, hydrogen atoms are forced together at extremely high temperatures and pressures, eventually transforming into helium. The Sun, along with other stars, is effectively a gigantic helium factory.

On Earth, we obtain helium from natural gas reserves that have trapped helium generated by the radioactive decay of elements within Earth's crust. However, as helium is a non-renewable resource, understanding and managing its production are vital for sustaining its availability for crucial applications such as cooling superconducting magnets in MRI machines.

Nuclear fusion is the cosmic engine driving the luminosity and power of stars. It's a process where lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy as a result. The most common fusion process in stars is the fusion of hydrogen to form helium. In the cores of stars—where conditions of temperature and pressure are extreme—individual protons (which are hydrogen nuclei) collide with enough force to overcome electrical repulsion, fusing to create a helium nucleus. This process not only creates elements heavier than hydrogen but also generates the light and heat we receive from the Sun. It's this stellar process that has filled the universe with elements that make up planets and life as we know it.

Diving into the atom's nucleus, radioactive decay is a natural, spontaneous process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy. This phenomenon occurs in several ways, most commonly through alpha decay, beta decay, and gamma decay. During radioactive decay, particles or electromagnetic waves are emitted, and the process can result in the transformation of one element into another. For example, potassium-40, found within the Earth's crust, decays over time to produce argon-40, a noble gas. Various applications leverage radioactive decay, including dating geologic materials with radiometric methods, treating cancer through radiotherapy, and generating electrical power in nuclear reactors.

Fractional distillation of air is a fascinating industrial process used to separate the components of air — primarily nitrogen and oxygen — but also the noble gases including argon. In this process, air is first cooled to a very low temperature to become a liquid. When the liquified air is slowly warmed up, its components vaporize at different temperatures because of their unique boiling points.

As the vaporized gases ascend through a distillation column, they are collected at different levels. Oxygen boils off at around -183�C followed closely by nitrogen at -196�C. Argon, being slightly less volatile than oxygen and nitrogen, has a boiling point of about -186�C, so it is extracted between the two. This method is not only useful for producing industrial gases; it is also key in the creation of high-purity elements for various applications, including scientific research.