Balloons Balloons
Introduction to Balloons
The word ‘Balloons’ conjures up pictures in your mind of simple balloons you inflate 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 available 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 first balloons would have been made with non-elastic material but modern balloons have great elasticity because they are made of Latex and can be filled up to create much larger sizes than earlier ones.
Balloons Throughout History
The initial known balloons were very simple in that they were made out of the bowels of animals. 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 was probably the first example of balloon modelling. Early balloons were made of animal guts and were turned into play things for the local community.
The first public demonstration of a balloon was at the Portuguese Court in Lisbon in seventeen hundred and nine by a Portuguese priest, Bartolomeu de Gusmao, and was most likely to be made from an animal bladder that stretched when filled with air. The modern rubber balloon was invented in 1824 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 science experiments with Hydrogen, but the more common Latex balloon did not appear until 1847. 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 nineteen thirty one.
The balloon industry became more advanced as they developed in line with technology. Now balloons are made from rubber Latex, polychloroprene or nylon and may be filled 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 fit the circumstance. Balloons are usually used for entertainment or displays.
Some balloons are purely for decoration, others are ideal for individual uses 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. There are many different types of balloons which can be categorised under different headings.
Different Balloon Types
Good Old Party Balloons
The most common types of balloons are the ones we are used to seeing at parties, generally a child’s party. These are often bought in small packets and blown up by Mum’s and Dad’s 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 many different sizes and colours and can have printing on sometimes 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 size variable. Balloons filled with air always hold their size and shape much longer than those filled with Helium.This is because Helium particles are so small they can escape between the Latex molecules, apparently!
You can order cartoon images mounted on printed balloons that become larger than life once inflated.
Mylar(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 remember them being used a major event was when they were used at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana and they caused quite a stir. Foil balloons have a nice shiny reflective finish and can be supplied with colour pictures, logos and patterns to customise them. The most crucial characteristic of metalized nylon for balloons is its capacity to retain the Helium gas from leaking for several weeks because it is less porus. Foil balloons also have the benefit of being light weight, longer-lasting with better buoyancy. They are perfect for unusual celebrations, in-store displays, parties and for gifts. At my mother’s ninetieth birthday celebration a few months ago we brought along a foil balloon with 90 printed on it to add to the festive occasion.Mylar balloons or foil balloons can also be manufactured into star shapes and can be printed with catch phrases to advertise a product launch.
Balloons in Animal Shapes
Balloons in animal shapes are ade from metalized nylon which can easily be cut into pieces so that when stuck 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 exceptional balloons make a very bright decorative effect for that special event. Balloons shaped like animals may be used as gifts or as a talking point at your special event.
Rocket Balloons
Inflating a balloon and releasing it go before tying it is as game most children enjoy at some time or another (and adults too)! The rude noise it makes always has everyone falling about laughing as it speeds around the place. This demonstration is teaching the children basically 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 let-go, the elasticity of the balloon contracts so that the higher pressure of air inside is forced out causing the balloon to be propelled forward. This is fundamentally how a rocket works. The balloon can also be inflated with different gases other than air, resulting inthe same effect. Balloon rockets are a widely used a learning aid to reveal the principles in science of the functioning of a rocket. The balloon rocket is also frequently used to demonstrate Newton’s third law in physics. Children can have hours of fun playing with balloons as a balloon rocket. The randomness of where they will go adds much laughter to the activity.
Balloons Filled With Water
The water balloons are obviously filled with water and are intended for kids to chuck at each other as a game or practical joke with the aim of getting each other wet. They are normally not as big as normal sized balloons and made from thin rubber so that they can be easily broken.
Helium Balloons
The reason Helium balloons float is because they are filled with Helium gas which is lighter than air. So for an event where balloons are set off into the air, 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 bigger than the enclosed Helium atoms so the Helium gradually leaks out. To increase the life span of a Helium balloon the inside of the balloons can be coated with a special polymer solution which lessens 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.As the name suggests Helium balloons means that the balloons are filled with Helium instead of air so that they rise up and float away.
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 skilled job. Balloon sculptures are really quite constrained because of the shape of the balloons but with intelligent colour choice simple arches or walls can make an impressive design at your special event. The balloons need to be precision filled and to do this professional balloon party decorators use electronic equipment to deliver the exact amount of Helium into the balloon. For non-floating balloons air inflators are used. Industrial grade balloons differ from most retail packet balloons as they are bigger in size, stronger and made from one hundred percent biodegradable Latex. Sometimes Helium balloons are used as table decorations for grand dinner parties 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 fantastic entertainment for children and adults alike and is not to be confused with balloon sculptures discussed previously. The Latex employed by balloon modellers is made of extra-stretchy rubber so that it can be manipulated and tied without bursting when making the balloon model. A Balloon modelling artist twists and ties the inflated modelling balloons into shapes of 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 handy work. These tiny modelling balloons are extremely hard to inflate and often need a pump to get them started.
Mass Balloon Drops
I am sure you will have been to a party or dance where at the end of the event hundreds of balloons fall from the ceiling to create excitement and fun amongst the audience. This is known as 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 cost way of generating a festive atmosphere at the party climax, so everyone goes home feeling they have had a really great evening. By printing messages or logos on the balloons they can also be an advertising item at the event.
It is easy enough to create your own balloon drop for that special event as long as you have a room with enough height. To begin with 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 lend a hand 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 works so that the balloons will fall onto the target area below when they are let go. You will also need to develop a mechanism for releasing the balloons, and make sure you have thoroughly tested it so everything goes to plan at the big moment. Balloon drops may also be employed for many other celebrations, such as graduations and weddings.
Occasionally advertising balloons are inflated with Helium so that they will rise to make the greatest impact on the public.
Mass Balloon Releases
Due to concerns about the effect on the environment of a large amount of balloons being released, the NABAS – The Balloon Association have produced a code of conduct which can be found on their website at www.nabas.co.uk
If you are arranging a balloon release of more than 5,000 balloons, it is a necessity that you apply in writing for permission to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) at least 28 days in advance. The CAA also like to be notified about balloon releases of less than 5,000. An application form can be obtained by calling either the NABAS office on 01989 762 204 or the Airspace Utilisation Section of the CAA on 020 7453 6599
Balloons, the Environment and Balloon Safety
Latex is an organic product obtained from rubber trees that are grown in certain regions of the tropics, so balloons are completely organic being manufactured from natural rubber Latex (NRL). These trees are not cleared to produce the NRL. The NRL is obtained by tapping older trees and is an crucial sustainable crop providing employment for many agricultural labourers in some of the poorest regions 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 might easily become just another casualty of the clearance of land for arable use. One of the great advantages of NRL cultivation is the significant contribution to the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere that is produced by industrialised nations and is a major source of global warming. The tropical regions in which rubber trees grow are often in some of the poorest parts of the world, so an industry from such a sustainable source is a vital income for the population.
Conclusion
The toy balloon has been a source of pleasure and excitement for many years at celebratory events such as parties, product launches and conferences throughout the world. They have been an educational resource as well as providing hours of fun and play 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?
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