Element 18 · Noble Gas
Argon
Argon is the inert atmosphere that protects welds and fills double-glazing.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Ar
ATOMIC NO.
18
ATOMIC WEIGHT
39.948
CATEGORY
Noble Gas
PERIOD
Period 3
GROUP
Group 18
Historical Uses
Argon was discovered in 1894 by Lord Rayleigh and William Ramsay, who noticed that nitrogen extracted from air was slightly denser than nitrogen from chemical sources. They isolated the new gas and named it from the Greek for “idle” due to its complete inertness. Ramsay received the Nobel Prize in 1904. Argon was first commercialised as an inert fill gas for incandescent light bulbs, extending filament life significantly.
Current Uses
Argon’s largest industrial use is as a shielding gas in MIG and TIG welding (protecting the weld pool from atmospheric oxidation), followed by steel degassing (argon stirring in ladles to remove impurities), semiconductor manufacturing, argon-ion lasers, and as a fill gas in double-glazed windows for thermal insulation. It is the third most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere (0.93%).
Not Commercially Viable for Scrap
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Argon:
Argon is a noble gas — inert, colourless, and existing only as a gas. It is extracted by fractional distillation of liquid air. There is no metal content, no solid form, and no scrap trade.
Price Context
Industrial bulk argon costs approximately £0.08–0.25 per cubic metre. Argon prices rose significantly following COVID-related supply chain disruptions. It is sold as a bottled or piped industrial gas, not as scrap.