Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-04
Helium in Liquid
Form Produced in
u. S. for First Time
Accomplished by Bureau
of Standards at $50 De-
grees Fahrenheit.

Liquid helium was produced last night
| at the Bureau of Standards for the
first time In the United States.
Liquif1cation of this rare gas, next
to hydrogen alone the lghtest of all
| the elements, was accomplished in the
bureaus low temperature laboratory at
temperature of 456 Fahrenheit. This
is only three points below the hypo-
| thetical absolute zero at which all
movement Of gases stops.
! The liquid was produced by boiling
helium at low pressure. The boiling
point was $50 Fahrenheit and once this
was reached the point Of liquification
was found only 6 degrees lower.
The liquif1cation was accomplished by
DR.. H. C. Dickinson, chief of the heat
and power division; DR.. F. G. Brick
wedde. chief of the low temperature
| laboratory; j. w. Cook and r. B. Scott.
Liquid helium has been produced be-
! fore at the University Of Teyden in
Holland, at Berlin and at Toronto.
Hardest Substance to LIquify.
Helium, the strange gas first discov-
| cred in the sun and now Of immense
| practical value in filling airships. be-
cause it is non-combustible, is the hard
est substance on earth to liquify and
freeze. Hydrogen, which is also used to
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temperature than helium.
The first step in making liquid helium
was to produce liquid hydrogen, which
is accomplished by subiecting the gas
| to a pressure of 1000 pounds to the
square inch, after which it was cooled
! by liquid air to a temperature of 80
degrees below zero. Then supply OF
helium as pure as could be obtained by
refining processes was compressed to a
pressure of 200 pounds to the square
inch after which the compressed gas
was cooled with liquid air and liquid
| hydrogen to the temperature Of the
latter, 423 degrees below zero.
The helum was a gas even at this
low temperature. The next step was
to allow it to expand, thereby producing
additional refrigeration and lowering
| the temperature of the helium to 456
1 degrees, at which it liquifled. In max
| ing liquid helium It was first necessary
| to insure a plentiful supply Of liquid
hydrogen, which was produced In the
same laboratory.
VIII Be Used for Study.
| The liquid helium will be used for
| scientific purposes to study the nature
of matter at such low temperatures.
Some weird effects have been observed
which science is unable to explain. For
instance, certain materials at extremely
low temperatures lose their resistance
| to an electric current which, once
started through them, would flow for
ever If the low temperature could be
maintained. Actually matter is not
F, kept in such condition very long The
materials which thus become perfect
/, conductors at such low temperatures are
the poorer conductors at ordinary tenn
peratures. Good conductors do not
become superconductorS by such treat
! ment.
While man never has experienced q
temperature Of 459 Fahrenheit. accord
| ing to DR.. Brickwedde, it Is far from
a mere speculation to say that it is
impossible to go any lower. Cold, &C
cording to the laws Of physics, cannot
be infinite. If 1t we're possible to at
tain lower temperatures one might build
an engine, similar to steam engine
capable of operating at such low tenn
peratures, which would give cut more
energy in work than was put into it to
operate it. This, like perpetual motion
would be contrary to the established
principle of the conservation of energy.
Although the construction of such an
engine would be impossible, DR.. Brick
wedde says, the conclusion is sound.