Transcript :
Link to TYHJ
(Promo)
You're listening to Chemistry in its element brought to you by Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
(End promo)
Chris Smith
Hello, this week Superman makes an appearance and we're not talking about the rather tacky s dance either, we're talking Krypton. Here's UCL's Angelos Michaelides.
Angelos Michaelides
Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl, and Krypto the "super dog". Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of its destruction varying by time period, writers and franchise.
So much for trying to do a "wikipedia" search for this "hidden" element!
The story of its discovery, however, reveals a Victorian man of Science who, in his own way, qualifies as a superhero. Born in Glasgow in , William Ramsay was already established as one of the foremost chemists of his day when he took up his appointment at University College London in . The chair to which he succeeded had been occupied by leaders of scientific progress and, almost immediately after entering on his new duties, he was elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society. Great things were therefore believed of him, but nobody could have foreseen the discoveries which came so rapidly.
Ramsay's colleagues of this period describe him as "charming, witty, and generous" - traits which no doubt made him an easy man with whom to collaborate. Lord Rayleigh, himself an eminent physicist, was therefore lucky in more ways than one that Ramsay responded to his letter to Nature in September . In it, Lord Rayleigh had expressed puzzlement as to why atmospheric nitrogen was of greater density than nitrogen derived from chemical sources, and wondered if any chemist would like to turn his mind to this anomaly. It does not appear that anyone except Professor Ramsay attempted to attack the question experimentally.
Correspondence between the two men reveals the enthusiasm with which Ramsay set to the task and details painstaking and meticulous work first to isolate sufficient atmospheric nitrogen and then to test it, using fractional distillation, for impurities, - anything, basically, that wasn't nitrogen. In this way, Ramsay wrote to Rayleigh : "We may discover a new element". In fact, they discovered Argon, and Ramsay went on to discover an entirely new class of gases. In , he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the discovery of argon, neon, xenon and, of course, krypton.
Like its fellows, krypton is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, noble gas that occurs in trace amounts in the atmosphere. Like the other noble gases, it too is useful in lighting and photography, and its high light output in plasmas allows it to play an important role in many high-powered lasers. Unlike its lighter fellows it is reactive enough to form chemical compounds: krypton fluoride being the main example, which has led to the development of the krypton flouride laser. A laser of invisible light developed in the 's by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which has found uses in fusion research and lithography. The heaviest stable krypton isotope, krypton 86, rose to prominence in the second half of the last century with a tad over one and a half million wavelengths of its orange-red spectral line being used as the official distance of a metre.
But the potential applications and practical uses of krypton are perhaps irrelevant in the story of its discovery. The point of Ramsay's work was not to put his knowledge to some utilitarian purpose - the point was to discover. Scientific endeavour is perhaps too often judged by whether or not its results are "useful". But discovery and knowledge are sometimes an end in themselves. The purist knows the joy of discovering that which was hitherto unknown.
Sir William Ramsay was a purist - a man with an insatiable appetite to better understand the world. He travelled to Canada, the United States, Finland, India, and Turkey with his wife, Lady Ramsay. He was a man open to new ideas, always endeavouring on his travels to learn local languages and customs and always alive to new experiences. One anecdote, related by a travelling companion to Iceland, describes him standing on the site of a geyser with a small glass jar, capturing gases as they erupt from underfoot. The image is unmistakably one of a childlike fascination with nature, in a man whose dedication to research knew no limits.
In his biography of Ramsay, Sir William Tilden describes him as a man "ever filled with that divine curiosity which impels the discoverer forward" who enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing that he was achieving something. Indeed, in a memorial lecture, for his late friend Henri Moissan in , Ramsay quoted the following words:
"But what I cannot convey in the following pages is the keen pleasure I have experienced in the pursuit of these discoveries. To plough a new furrow; to have full scope to follow my own inclination; to see on all sides new subjects of study bursting upon me, that awakens a true joy which only those can experience who have themselves tasted the delights of research"
What's left, then, is the joy of finding what is hidden, a fact reflected in the very name of this element, Krypton, taken from "krypto", Greek for hidden. And nothing to do with a SuperDog.
Are you interested in learning more about Krypton, Kr Rare Gas? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
Chris Smith
The hidden element that Lord Raleigh suspected might be there and William Ramsay actually uncovered. Thank you very much to Angelos Michaelides. He's based at University College London. Next week to one of those elements, the chemical symbol of which appears to bear absolutely no relationship to the name of the substance itself. Why?
Katherine Holt
Many centuries ago mid-European tin smelters observed that when a certain mineral was present in the tin ore, their yield of tin was much reduced. They called this mineral 'wolfs foam' because, they said, it devoured the tin much like a wolf would devour a sheep!
Chris Smith
And Katherine Holt will be telling us the tale behind tungsten's letter W on the periodic table in next week's Chemistry in its Element, hope you can join us. I'm Chris Smith, thank you for listening and goodbye.
(Promo)
Chemistry in its element is brought to you by the Royal Society of Chemistry and produced by thenakedscientists.com . There's more information and other episodes of Chemistry in its element on our website at chemistryworld.org/elements
(End promo)
A study by the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences concluded that by further combining technologies such as low-E applications and multiple glazing with gas-filling, today&#;s most energy-efficient window models can deliver spectacular R-values of up to R-9.
Krypton and Argon gases are pumped into the areas between the panes in energy-efficient windows because they are heavier than air. These gases move more slowly than air does. So, when enclosed between the glass panes, the gases slow down energy that is passing through the window, to help prevent it from leaving from the inside of your house, or entering it from the outside.
The majority of modern energy-efficient windows are built with multiple glass panes, and either Argon or Krypton gas is used to fill the space between the panes. The gases serve to help keep energy from easily passing through the panes. This reduction in the free transfer of energy through windows, means lower heating and cooling bills. That&#;s because the HVAC system does not have to run as much to keep the inside of the home at a comfortable temperature.
Installing energy-efficient replacement windows improves comfort and reduces heating and cooling costs. To figure out which versions of high-efficiency replacement windows are right for your home, start by comparing Argon and Krypton. These are the two gases most often used for maximizing the effectiveness of energy-efficient windows. But, how do today&#;s advanced window designs use these gasses to help prevent thermal energy inside a home from being lost through windows and keep unwanted heat and cold from coming in? And, which offers the best value as a window insulator &#; Argon or Krypton gas?
Both Argon and Krypton are colorless and odorless inert gases commonly used between glass panes as an insulator, to increase energy efficiency in the best of high-performance windows. Neither of these two non-toxic gases poses any risks to humans or animals in the event of gas leaking.
Argon &#; The majority of energy-efficient windows are filled with Argon gas, while a small percentage have Krypton gas. Generally, Argon gas is used in double-pane windows that have a 1/2 inch or wider space between the glass panes, because Argon performs very well in this space width.
Krypton &#; Krypton gas is usually used in triple-pane windows with a 1/4 to 3/8 inch space between glass panes. This is because filling with Krypton is more cost-efficient when used in smaller spaces, and also because Krypton performs best as an insulator when used in such configurations.
Although most thermal windows are filled with either Argon or Krypton gas, frequently manufacturers blend the two gases together. They may also add other gas types, such as nitrogen, xenon, or oxygen with them, in order to more ideally balance their windows&#; costs with their insulation quality.
Argon gas is six times denser than air, whereas Krypton is twelve times more dense than air. Therefore, Krypton is about twice as effective as Argon in slowing down or stopping thermal energy from passing through a window. So, why is Argon chosen for the majority of energy-efficient windows?
Estimates of cost differentials between windows containing Krypton and Argon gas vary between reports. One report estimates that Krypton-filled window costs are 40 percent higher than Argon windows. An extensive research report by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) estimates the cost of Krypton filled triple-pane windows at 200-300 percent higher than double-pane Argon-filled alternatives.
The PNNL study (June ) found that some double-pane window designs can deliver a thermal value of U=0.22, though achieving this low U value requires adding low&#;E to the glass, which increases the cost. But, the research report also discussed input from survey respondents who reason that justifying the high cost of triple-pane Krypton-filled windows would require a much bigger performance improvement than the U=0.20 thermal level they can be anticipated to achieve.
The reason why Krypton windows are so expensive to manufacture is because Krypton gas is much more scarce and difficult to produce than Argon. Argon gas makes up only about one percent of the earth&#;s atmosphere, whereas Krypton is found in merely trace amounts. This forces up the cost of Krypton gas and causes Argon to be, by comparison, far more available and much more cost-efficient for use in filling windows to increase their thermal effectiveness.
So, the primary differences between Krypton and Argon gas windows are their levels of energy efficiency and their cost. Making a choice between the two is typically a question of comparing the lifetime cost of each of the two types of windows. That calculation involves the purchase price of the windows and the energy cost savings of the windows over their expected lifespan, and perhaps other factors unique to your home and lifestyle, along with other considerations. Ask your windows installer to assist you in performing thorough product evaluations.
Ultimately, by all objective accounts, Argon normally presents a better overall value for homeowners, especially for double-pane window installations. However, if you&#;re unsure whether Krypton-filled or Argon-filled windows offer the right solution for your needs, consider the quality of your HVAC system and the number and locations of the windows in your home.
If you have an exceptional home temperature control system and an average or a lesser amount of wall and ceiling space covered by windows, then triple-pane Krypton windows may be worth the additional expense. But, if your home has many large windows and your HVAC system has to work hard to heat and/or cool your home, then double-pane Argon windows may be the best investment for you.
For more information about replacement windows, or to schedule a free in-home estimate, contact Advanced Window Products, Salt Lake City UT at (801) 505-, or browse our windows online.
Download PDF
Want more information on Rare Gas Neon supplier? Feel free to contact us.