balloon

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Balloons
The toy maker from Nuremberg , balloons on a genre picture by Fritz Beinke , 1882
Paolo Monti , 1962

A balloon is an elastic hollow body that can be filled with gas and expands many times its original size. It is mostly made of rubber , plastic or natural rubber . Foil balloons, the material of which hardly expands, are an exception. The filling usually consists of air or helium .

history

The first rubber balloon was made in London in 1824 by Michael Faraday as part of his experiments with hydrogen at the Royal Institution in London. He used raw rubber from which he cut two round surfaces, placed them on top of one another and pressed them together at the edges. The inside of the balloon was dusted with flour to prevent the surfaces from sticking together. According to his report in the Quarterly Journal of Science in 1824, this balloon expanded very much, became transparent, and floated to the ceiling. Just one year later, in 1825, this invention was sold by the Englishman Thomas Hancock (1786–1865) as a set, whereby you had to make the balloons yourself from the raw rubber mass using a syringe. Since unvulcanized rubber is very sticky, the durability was poor. Vulcanized balloons, made using the dipping method still in use today, were first manufactured and sold by J. G. Ingram in London in 1847.

Manufacturing

Balloons are made from natural rubber. First the rubber is pre-vulcanized . Further additives are then added to the rubber (plasticizers, anti-aging agents, stabilizers). The color of the balloons is created by adding pigments . Unpigmented rubber balloons are white-yellow and become transparent when inflated. Then the balloon forms, which are made of glass, polypropylene or ceramic and are coated in a coagulant bath made of calcium nitrate , water and a release agent, are dipped into the latex. After a drying process, a piece of the balloon neck is rolled up with two rotating brushes to create a ring on the mouthpiece. The coated mold is then washed in hot water to remove excess nitrate and then vulcanized. The finished balloon is then stripped from the mold with air.

Materials and Risks

rubber

Natural rubber is processed into rubber and is compostable. In many cases, latex balloons pose a health risk, as latex vulcanization produces nitrosamines , which are highly carcinogenic. A Greenpeace study from 2004 showed that of the 21 types of balloon tested, only one complied with the nitrosamine limit value of 10 µg / kg and only three others did not exceed twice the limit value. The highest reading was 46 times the limit value for a frequently sold variety. For this reason, since September 1st, 2009, balloons may only be placed on the market in Germany if the clearly legible warning: "Use a pump to inflate!" Commercial balloons made of natural or synthetic rubber may contain a maximum of 0.05 mg N-nitrosamines / kg balloon in Germany, with a violation of up to one year imprisonment.

Around 1990 it was discussed in the USA that small children in particular choke on deflated or burst latex balloons. These can get into the windpipe through inhalation and close the airway. After the manufacturers and retailers' association The Balloon Council , formed in the USA in 1990, informed about this risk and issued warnings on balloon packaging, the number of deaths in the USA fell from around 10 to around 1 per year. An EU directive has been in effect since 2011 that recommends that children under 8 years of age must be supervised when inflating latex balloons.

In some US states , as well as in individual communities in Great Britain and the Netherlands , the launching of helium-filled balloons is prohibited. The soft material poses a significant risk to seabirds and other marine animals, which can swallow the remains of the balloon and perish on it. The cords tied to the balloons can also be dangerous for animals.

Foil balloons, round - folds at the seam

foil

Foil balloons appeared in the USA at the end of the 1970s - typically not yet self-sealing in 1982 - and are sometimes made from various base materials as a composite material:

  • nylon
  • Mylar ( polyester ) on the outside with translucent or opaque imprint of monochrome to multi-color movie motifs. Often with one-sided high-gloss metallization made of aluminum underneath, which greatly reduces the permeability for helium in order to keep the balloon plump and rising for longer. On the inside, the polyester film is laminated with a thermoplastic with a lower melting temperature (composite film) in order to allow ultrasound welding of the balloons, which are typically composed of two flat halves . It is typical that the balloons do not expand into a spherical shape, but rather (on edge) into a lens or pillow shape, and clear creases remain at the weld seam (flat seam with protrusion).
  • Since 2013 there have been new types of balloons whose film material freshly taken out of the packaging still contains some water and thus has a few percent elasticity. Even if balloons consist of two flat circular pieces, the folds on the narrow weld seam (without protrusion) can be eliminated by plastic deformation with sufficient inflation.

Balloons, which are made up of four identical segments, form a sphere very precisely, to which the brand name Orbz (Latin orbis = circle) refers. Originally, a single -use expansion indicator was supplied with every balloon as an inflation gauge (literally: filling gauge).

Most foil balloons have an automatically closing valve made of a flat foil tube integrated into the neck, into which a tube is usually inserted for filling (to protect yourself), which is particularly necessary for gas discharge. Balloons made of relatively stiff polyester film have little pressure resistance. Those made of stretchable film require significantly more pressure to fully inflate - until the folds at the seams have disappeared.

Foil balloons that are typically 10–15 cm in size are only inflated with air - even when filled with helium, they cannot float - and are often held in place by balloon sticks. Foil balloons from about 35 cm in diameter (measured uninflated) rise helium-filled and remain floating on the tape for 1 week or more, as long as they are not injured by stabbing or shearing. Foil balloons made of plastic foil have a certain low cloudiness, unprinted and filled.

Balloons made of metallized foil conduct electricity and can therefore trigger an electrical flashover and arcing on high-voltage lines and overhead lines of trams and underground trains . An insulator is severely damaged by only a little deposited aluminum and decomposed plastic and must be replaced.

Metallized balloons are therefore not allowed to be sold at the folk festivals in Munich, Stuttgart and Frankfurt. The increasingly widespread balloon weights at the lower end of the strap prevent the balloons from rising and thus reduce the risk of short circuits in overhead lines.

Shape and skin

Round Balloon Qualatex 24 " - somewhat pear-shaped crowded

The usual balloon is called a round balloon and can take the shape of a pear. But it is also available in the form of hearts, rabbits, donuts and other unusual shapes and figures.

Figure balloons made of latex

The beginning of figure balloons dates back to 1912, when the American Harry Rose Gill from Akron (Ohio) produced the first non-round balloon in the shape of a zeppelin . A figure balloon consists of several air chambers and is considered to be technologically demanding, as there is enormous tensile force on the transitions between the individual chambers when the balloon is filled, which can be problematic for construction and material. In order to inflate such a balloon, which consists of several air chambers, it is important to start with the upper chamber, taking care to blow more slowly than with conventional round balloons, as the pressure and tensile forces on the latex skin are distributed very differently.

Dimensions

Dimensions for round balloons made of latex Approximate number of fillings with helium cylinder volume (200 bar)
Circumference cm Ø cm Ø inches Floating time 10 liters 20 liters 50 liters
40-50 13 5 ″ - - - -
65-75 22nd 9 ″ - - - -
75-85 25th 10 ″ 12-16 h 175 350 780
90-100 30th 12 ″ 16-20 h 130 260 590
100-110 35 14 ″ 18-22 h 110 220 490
120-130 40 16 ″ 22-26 h 65 130 300
150-160 48 18 ″ 24-28 h 45 90 195
170 60 24 ″ 26-48 h 20th 40 90
200 75 30 ″ 76-80 h 10 20th 45
250 90 36 ″ 2-4 days 5 10 22nd
350 120 48 ″ 4-6 days 2 4th 9
450 160 63 ″ 7+ days 1 2 4th
650 210 83 ″ 7+ days - - 1.7

filling

When a balloon is inflated (approx. 2.5 liters volume), it is either tied at the opening or closed with a quick-release fastener that is commercially available. Foil balloons close automatically through a valve.

Helium is normally used as the lifting gas . Due to its atomic structure, it is able to easily escape from a balloon. Therefore, a balloon filled with helium loses its buoyancy after a few hours. Latex is very porous and allows gas (air) to escape. The balloon manufacturers therefore offer z. B. special helium-compatible products. The rubber skin of these balloons is thicker and its molecular structure has been compressed. There are also products on the market that can be added to the balloons at a later date so that the "flight time" of the balloons is extended (e.g. "HiFloat").

As a rule, however, the balloons are filled with ambient air or inflated with lung power. Hydrogen gas is rarely used , as it can explode ( oxyhydrogen ) and the outer skin can pass even faster than helium. Helium, on the other hand, is neither poisonous nor flammable. Direct inhalation of the balloon gas should, however, be avoided. Since helium displaces the air in the lungs, above a certain amount it leads to a lack of oxygen with consequences such as loss of consciousness and permanent damage to health.

Balloons filled with water are often used as so-called water bombs .

use

Throwing arrows on balloons

Balloons are used in science (e.g. meteorology ), medicine , aviation and the military , in show business (modeling balloons and balloon animals , entry-level balloon ), in art , as advertising media , as decorations and toys .

Balloons filled with lifting gases are used to send balloon mail in balloon flight competitions. They can also be used as easy-to-use jump starters for kites or for experiments with flying light effects. Since the load capacity of a single helium-filled balloon is only about six to seven grams, these experiments often require the use of several balloons. Balloons, inflated with helium, are used as an inhalation vessel, as this affects the pitch of the speaking voice.

Balloons filled with liquids are usually water bombs, but they are also used for dye attacks.

At fairs , throwing booths often offer arrow throwing on balloons as a competition. Small balloons must be hit with darts .

Advertising balloons

To print balloons, they are first inflated to about three-quarters in order to optimally stretch the balloon surface to absorb the printing ink. The printing is done using offset or screen printing . In offset printing, the motif is etched backwards onto a metal plate, which is then colored. The balloon is now rolled over the plate and absorbs the color. Screen printing works with a fine synthetic fabric. The motif is also applied reversed to the fabric by photomechanical means. The paint can be pressed through these areas afterwards, the rest of the tissue surface becomes impermeable. The balloon is then rolled over the printing surface as in offset printing and absorbs the color. Immediately after printing, the air is slowly deflated while the ink dries. The printed balloons are then shrunk in rotating drums with hot air so that they regain their original appearance. This method of shrinking can also be used with a normal hair dryer on balloons that have already been inflated.

Another method of printing the balloons is not to inflate them, but to stretch them over a metal plate. The print image itself is also applied using the screen printing process. This method has the advantage that the printed images can be precisely applied to the balloon. When the balloon is inflated and only then printed, can due to the movement and flexibility of the medium Passer arise differences. In addition, the motif can be printed larger, as the curve of an inflated balloon only provides a limited area for printing.

Modeling balloons

Balloons modeled in animal shape

Balloon modeling or balloon art is the shaping of special balloons into figures of all kinds, whereby animal figures are often chosen. People who make balloon figures call themselves twisters or balloon artists .

By twisting the modeling balloons and twisting off air chambers inside the balloon, the balloon parts are created, which, for example, shape the head, stomach and legs of a dog. Depending on the imagination and skill of the balloon artist, a wide variety of sculptures can be formed, contrary to the common term "balloon animal" not only animals, but also plants, vehicles and other figures.

The balloons typically required for modeling balloon after the unit inches referred to and called "260", derived from its duration: 2 inches in diameter and 60 inches in length (5 cm × 150 cm). There are also a lot of other sizes, shapes and colors.

Records

Popped balloon with a needle

In 2008 an American carried more than 150 helium-filled balloons in a record attempt, 380 kilometers from Oregon to Idaho. Kent Couch floated over the state border with his garden chair and landed on July 5, 2008 in Cambridge, Idaho , by shooting individual balloons with a gun. For the record attempt, dozens of volunteers had filled the balloons with a diameter of 1.50 meters with helium and tied them together. Each balloon weighs two kilograms. The flight was estimated to cost around $ 6,000, which was paid for by sponsors.

In the fundraising -action Balloon Festival 1986 in Cleveland , Ohio , 1,429,643 helium balloons previous world record was started simultaneously and thus broken. Since the balloons unexpectedly floated back over the city and went down there, there were numerous traffic delays and a rescue operation by the United States Coast Guard was canceled .

literature

Web links

Commons : Balloon  album with pictures, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Luftballon  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Balloons: Colorful, happy, poisonous
  2. ↑ Appendix 7 to Section 9 of the Consumer Goods Ordinance . Introduction by the sixteenth ordinance amending the Consumer Goods Ordinance of June 16, 2008, Federal Law Gazette I, p. 1107. Even a negligent violation can be prosecuted as an administrative offense, Section 12 (5) of the Consumer Goods Ordinance
  3. ↑ Appendix 5 no. 4 to § 6 Ordinance on Commodities; punishable under §6 sentence 1 no. 3 with § 12 para. 3 Consumer Goods Ordinance with § 59 para. 1 no. 21 LFGB .
  4. ↑ About: The Balloon Council , accessed March 25, 2019.
  5. ↑ In future only inflate balloons for children under supervision orf.at, October 13, 2011, accessed March 25, 2019.
  6. ↑ Comment by Marlene Weiß: Inflated Killer . In: sueddeutsche.de . March 15, 2019, ISSN  0174-4917 ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed March 16, 2019]).
  7. ↑ Vintage 1982 "Rainbow Unicorn" Mylar balloon helium inflation Stephen R, youtube.com, September 1, 2016, accessed March 25, 2019.
  8. ↑ How to Inflate an Orbz Balloon - Balloon Basics 24 Balloon Market, youtube.com, published September 11, 2017, accessed March 25, 2019.
  9. ↑ ORBZ Instruction HD Anagram Balloons, youtube.com, February 12, 2016, accessed March 25, 2019.
  10. ↑ How to Inflate Orbz ™ Balloons burtonplusBURTON, youtube.com, July 13, 2015, accessed March 25, 2019. - Disappearance of the folds on the weld seams shown.
  11. ↑ Orbz & Ultra Shapes Demo HD 720p Anagram Balloons, youtube.com, September 19, 2013, accessed 25 March 2019. Video (6:10) - Even with inflation gauge strain gauge . - 3:06 Orbz balloon, 5: 20–5: 40 display during the stretching process.
  12. ↑ The balloon printer: Printing balloons - The balloon printer - Westeifel Werke. Retrieved January 7, 2020 .
  13. ↑ http://www.couchballoons.com/
  14. ^ John Kroll: Balloonfest 1986, the spectacle that became a debacle: Cleveland Remembers . In: The Plain Dealer , August 15, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2016. 
  15. ↑ Gail Ghetia Bellamy: Cleveland Summertime Memories: A Warm Look Back . Gray & Company, Cleveland 2013, ISBN 1-938441-50-8 , pp. 65 .
  16. ↑ Simon McCormack: Releasing 1.5 Million Balloons Into The Air Is A Bad Idea . In: The Huffington Post . April 24, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2016.