Uses of Inert Gases: Noble Gases in Everyday Life and Industry

Inert gases, also known as noble gases, are Group 18 elements that are chemically stable due to their complete outermost electron shells. These gases include Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, and Radon, each with unique properties and applications. Their non-reactive nature makes them essential in industries, medicine, and scientific research. For example, helium is used in cryogenics and MRI machines, neon in lighting and signage, and argon in welding and insulation. Krypton and xenon play key roles in imaging and lighting technologies, while radon has applications in medical therapies and geological studies. This page explores the uses of inert gases across various fields, highlighting their importance in our daily lives and technological advancements.

What is Inert Gas?
Noble gases, also known as inert gases or Group 18 elements, are chemically stable due to their filled outermost orbitals. This stability makes them highly unreactive under normal conditions. They are colourless, odourless, tasteless, and non-flammable gases.

Key Facts:

• Elements of group 18 are all gases and have filled outermost orbital, that's why these elements are highly stable and don’t react with other elements easily. This is the reason these elements are known as inert gases or inert elements. 

• The word inert means chemically unreactive. These gases are also known as Noble Gases. Group 18 is also called the zero group. So, elements of group 18 are also called zero group elements. 

• They are generally colourless, odourless tasteless, and non-inflammable gas. For many decades they are put into zero groups of the traditional periodic table as they are thought to be completely non-bonding to other atoms so that the atoms of the noble gases do not react with the atoms of any other elements for a new chemical compound. 

• Their structural identification along with the finding of their characteristics shows that in the special condition, they do react to form some of the special compounds and have correctly put them in group 18 of the modern periodic table. 

• As the atomic number of the noble gases increases their abundance in the atmosphere decreases. Therefore, after hydrogen, helium is the second most abundant gas that is found in the Earth’s atmosphere. 

• The most commercial methods of obtaining the Noble gases are in the air except for helium and radon and they are extracted out of the air by the liquefaction and fractional distillation methods.

• Energy and particles, helium nuclei (alpha particles) and radon atoms are seen to be emitted out of the nuclei of the radium atom spontaneously.

Noble Gases List 

Here we are providing a list of how many inert gases are there with their electronic configuration – 

Properties of Noble Gases

Physical Properties

• State: Gaseous at room temperature.

• Colour/Odor/Taste: Colorless, odourless, and tasteless.

• Non-Flammability: These gases do not support combustion.

Chemical Properties

• Electronic Configuration:
  General: $ns^2np^6$ (Helium: $1s^2$)
  Their complete valence shell ensures chemical inertness.

• Atomic Radii:
  Small atomic radii compared to other groups. The size increases down the group.

• Ionisation Energy:
  Very high ionisation energies due to stable configurations. This decreases down the group.

• Electron Gain Enthalpy:
  Positive values indicate a reluctance to gain electrons.

• Reactivity:
  Noble gases form compounds only under special conditions, such as Xenon hexafluoride ($XeF_6$​).

Discovery of Noble Gases

Applications of Noble Gases In Daily Life 

Helium

• Medical: Treatment of respiratory disorders like asthma.

• Cryogenics: Coolant for superconductors and MRI machines.

• Industrial: Welding and explosion prevention.

• Recreational: Filling balloons.

Neon

• Lighting: Signboards, lamps, and lasers.

• Electronics: Used in television tubes and wave meter tubes.

• Design: Creates vibrant colors for interior decor.

Argon

• Welding: Provides an inert atmosphere for metal joining.

• Lighting: Fills light bulbs to prevent filament corrosion.

• Construction: Used in double-glazed windows for insulation.

Krypton

• Lighting: Used in fluorescent lamps and high-speed photography flashes.

• Medicine: MRI imaging of airways and nuclear scans.

• Aerospace: Propellant for satellites.

Xenon

• Medical: Imaging of the brain, heart, and lungs.

• Industrial: Used in high-pressure arc lamps and lasers.

• Scientific: NMR spectroscopy and bactericidal applications.

Radon

• Medicine: Cancer and tumour therapy through radiation.

• Earth Science: Predicts earthquakes by monitoring soil radon levels.

• Research: Tracks air masses and geological faults.

Extraction of Noble Gases

Noble gases are primarily extracted from air, except for helium and radon:

• Method: Liquefaction and fractional distillation of air.

• Radon: Produced during the radioactive decay of radium.

Conclusion

Noble gases are vital for scientific, medical, industrial, and recreational purposes. Their unique properties make them irreplaceable in applications requiring chemical inertness. Advances in technology continue to unlock new uses for these remarkable elements.