Introduction to Balloons
The word ‘Balloons’ conjures up images in your mind of simple balloons you blow up for children’s parties, or balloons that fly off on their own, or the special balloons for big events like the ones produced for the wedding of Charles and Diana? There are so many different types of balloons on the market that you can get almost anything for any event you want.
When you think about it, a balloon is a very strange item. It is something that expands when filled with air or some other type of gas, such as Helium or hydrogen and is very fragile so that it can easily burst. The very early balloons would have been made with non-elastic material but modern balloons have great elasticity because they are made of Latex and can be pumped up to create much larger sizes than earlier ones.
Balloon History
The initial known balloons were very primitive in that they were made out of the bowels of cats. The Aztec Indians in Central and Southern America carefully cleaned out the cat gut, turned it inside out and stitched it with special vegetable thread that stuck to itself when dried in the sun creating an almost airtight seal. The balloons were shaped into model animals and then filled with air to be burnt on the top of the Aztec pyramid as an offering to the sun god. This is the first recorded history of balloon modelling.
The first public showing of a balloon was at the Portuguese Court in Lisbon in 1809 by a Portuguese priest, Bartolomeu de Gusmao, and was probably likely to be made from an animal bladder that stretched when filled with air. The modern rubber balloon was invented in eighteen twenty four by Michael Faraday the renowned English chemist and physicist who invented, amongst other many other things, the Faraday cage and he also made huge contributions to the fields electromagnetism and electrochemistry. The balloons Faraday used were filled with hydrogen for his experiments with Hydrogen, but the more common Latex balloon did not appear until eighteen forty seven. Although the Latex balloon was manufactured in London in the mid 1800’s and early rubber balloons were sold in America in parks and circuses for a penny each; the mass production of them did not occur until a hundred years later in 1931.
The world of balloons became more advanced as they developed in line with technology. Now balloons are made from rubber Latex, polychloroprene or nylon and may be inflated with air, Helium, hydrogen or water. Filling the balloon with air can be done with the mouth, a manual hand pump, electric inflator, foot pump or with compressed gas. Balloons are used for many differing purposes, and decorated in numerous ways to suit the event.
Some balloons are purely for decoration, others are ideal for specific purposes because of their low density and relatively low cost. The balloon’s properties have led to them being used in a wide range of other applications in the areas of meteorology, military defence, medical treatment, and transportation.
Different Balloon Types
Balloons used at Parties
The most widely recognised types of balloons are the ones we are used to seeing at parties, generally a child’s party. These are frequently bought in small packets and blown up by volunteers or with a pump to create a festive scene for children’s parties and other kinds of celebratory events. These days you often see a cluster of balloons at the entrance to a house or hall to indicate where the party is being held, it has almost become a universal indicator of a party in progress! The balloons come in varying sizes and colours and can have printing on them which expands as the balloon is blown up. Party balloons are almost always made of natural Latex tapped from rubber trees. The rubber’s elasticity makes the dimensions variable. Balloons filled with air always hold their size and shape much longer than those filled with Helium.
Latex is the main material from which the largest number of rubber balloons can be manufactured.
Foil Balloons
The foil balloon or Mylar balloons first appeared during the late 1970s. They are slightly more expensive than Latex balloons and are made of thin non-stretch metalized plastic film or Mylar. The first time I had ever seen them was when they were used at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer and they caused quite a stir. Mylar balloons have lovely shiny reflective texture and can be printed with colour pictures, branding and patterns to customise them. The most useful attribute of metalized nylon for balloons is its capability to prevent the Helium gas from escaping for several weeks because it is less permeable. Foil balloons also have the advantage of being light weight, longer-lasting with improved buoyancy. They are perfect for unusual celebrations, in-store decorations, parties and for gifts. At our gran’s 90′th birthday celebration recently our auntie brought along a foil balloon with 90 printed on it to add to the atmosphere of the party.
Balloons in Animal Shapes
Balloons in animal shapes are ade from metalized nylon which can easily be cut into pieces so that when sewn together they make the three dimensional shapes of animals. Screen printing the appropriate design on the model, makes the chosen animal come realistically alive. Once inflated, these pretty pieces make a very bright decorative impact for that special event. Balloons in animal shapes may be used as gifts or as a talking point at your special event.
Balloon Rockets
Blowing up a balloon and releasing it go without tying it is as game most children play at some time or another (and adults too)! The rude noise it makes always has all but the really stone faced falling about laughing as it zooms around the building in a random manner. This demonstration is an experiment in how a rocket works and they are called balloon rockets. As a kid I can remember being intrigued as I learned why it did that.
When the top of the balloon is released, the balloon contracts so that the higher pressure of air inside is forced out causing the balloon to be propelled forward. This is in essence how a rocket works. The balloon can also be inflated with different gases other than air, with similar results. Balloon rockets are a widely used a learning aid to demonstrate the principles in science of the operation of a rocket. The balloon rocket is also often used to demonstrate Newton’s third law in physics.
Balloons and Water
The water balloons are obviously filled with water and are intended for kids to fling at each other as a game or practical joke with the aim of getting each other wet through. They are quite often not as big as regular balloons and made from thin rubber so that they can be easily broken. Water balloons are often used in competitions or games.
Helium Filled Balloons
The reason Helium balloons float in to the sky is because they are filled with Helium gas which is less dense than air. So for an event where balloons are set off into the sky, they will all be Helium filled balloons. If the Helium balloons are rubber balloons they generally only retain their buoyancy for a few days. This is because the Latex has tiny holes that are larger than the enclosed Helium atoms so the Helium gradually escapes. To increase the float time of a Helium balloon the inside of the balloons can be coated with a special polymer solution which reduces the leakage of the Helium for a week or more. Having even just one foil Helium filled balloon at a small party can create a special effect to enhance the occasion.A balloon release of thousands of brightly coloured Helium balloons let off at the same time make a terrific sight.
Sculptures from Balloons
Balloon Sculptures are made from hundreds of balloons to create a solid structure such as a balloon arch, wall or statute. Other shapes are more difficult, but on occasion more ambitious sculptures have been attempted so they are possible. These works of art are usually made and designed by professional party decorators as it is a very skilled job. Balloon sculptures are really quite restricted because of the round shape of the balloons but with clever colour choice simple arches or walls can make an impressive feature at your special event. The balloons need to be precision filled with exactly the same amount of gas and to do this professional balloon sculptors use precision pumps to deliver the exact amount of Helium into the balloon. For non-floating balloons air inflators are used. Industrial quality balloons differ from most retail packet balloons as they are larger in size, stronger and made from 100% biodegradable Latex. Sometimes Helium balloons are used as table decorations for special events which may have 3 or five balloons with an arrangement of flowers. The decoration will usually include curled ribbon tied to a weight to stop the balloons from floating away.
Balloon Modelling and Balloons in Art
Balloon modelling is a fascinating entertainment for children and adults alike and should be confused with balloon sculptures discussed above. The Latex employed by balloon modellers is made of extra-stretchy rubber so that it can be twisted and shaped and tied without bursting when making the balloon model. A Balloon modelling artist twists and ties the inflated modelling balloons into shapes resembling animals, people or hats. When you watch a balloon modeller at work you half expect that the balloons will pop when they are twisting and tying their creations. These tiny modelling balloons are extremely difficult to inflate and usually need a pump to get them started, until you have developed the lungs for it.
Dropping Lots of Balloons from a Net
I am sure you will have been to a party or dance where at the end of the event a load of balloons fall from the roof to create excitement and fun amongst the audience. This is a balloon drop and is often performed at events such as New Year’s Eve celebrations or at political rallies and conventions. It is a relatively low budget way of generating a festive atmosphere at the party climax, so everyone goes home feeling they have had a really great evening.
It is easy enough to create your own balloon drop for that special event as long as you have a room with enough height. Firstly you will need to set up a large plastic bag or net overhead, which is suspended at the required height, to hold the balloons. Get your other organisers to help with inflating balloons as it can take quite a while to do the number needed. Then pile the inflated balloons into the net and make sure the opening is central so that the balloons will drop onto the target area below when they are let go. You will also need to devise a mechanism for releasing the balloons.
To make a big splash at a promotional party advertising balloons provide an excellent branding opportunity.
Mass Balloon Releases
Because of concerns about the bearing on the environment of a large number of balloons being released, the NABAS – The Balloon Association have produced a code of practise which can be found on their website at www.nabas.co.uk
If you are preparing a balloon release of more than 5,000 balloons, it is a condition that you apply in writing for permission to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) at least 28 days before the event. The CAA also like to be informed of balloon releases involving less than 5,000. An application form can be requested by calling either the NABAS office on 01989 762 204 or the Airspace Utilisation Section of the CAA on 020 7453 6599
Environmental Concerns and Balloon Safety
Latex is an organic product obtained from rubber trees that are grown in certain areas of the tropics, so balloons are completely environmentally friendly being made of natural rubber Latex (NRL). These trees are not cleared to produce the NRL. The NRL is harvested by tapping older plants and is an vital sustainable crop providing employment for many agricultural labourers in some of the poorest areas of the world.
The planting and maintenance of rubber tree plantations helps towards the prevention of tropical rainforest deforestation. Without the cultivation and the consumption of Latex products the plantations may very well become yet another casualty of the clearance of land for farming. One of the great by-products of NRL cultivation is the appreciable contribution to the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere that is produced by industrialised nations and is a major source of global warming.
Printed Latex balloons are an absolutely fantastic, low-cost and environmentally friendly way of advertising your promotion or event.
Conclusion
The toy balloon has been a source of happiness and excitement for many years at celebratory events such as parties, product launches and conferences throughout the world. They have been an educational tool as well as providing hours of fun and interest for children and adults alike. Non toy balloons are used for experiments in science, as an aid for heart repair in medicine and even as a form of travel as in the hydrogen air ship idea. Balloons are invaluable in helping us to learn about our world and some of the properties of physics.
When you think about it balloons are a major part of modern day life, did you realise?
