All You Need to Know About Balloons

Origins of the word balloon

The word balloon was originally derived from the French word ballon, meaning large ball. This was in turn probably derived from the latin ballone, or possibly from the old German word balla, meaning ball. Other related words include the Middle English bal, which was probably from the Old English beall, both meaning ball.

History of balloons

Early balloons were made out of animal bladders and intestines (yuk!) and often used by jesters who would manipulate them into amusing shapes for entertainment. Galileo also inflated a pig's bladder in an experiment to measure the weight of air. Modern Balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex or plastic some use metallic coatings for added shine.

Rubber balloons

The first rubber balloons called “caoutchoucs” were invented by Michael Faraday in 1824 and used in his experiments with hydrogen. He made his balloons simply by cutting out two sheets of rubber, placing them on top of each other and pressing the edges together. The sticky rubber welded automatically and he rubbed the inside of the balloon with flour to prevent the opposing surfaces joining together.

Latex Balloons

Today's more familiar Latex Balloons, made from a highly flexible substance extracted from plants, were first manufactured in London in 1847, by J.G. Ingram, but it is only the 1930s that we started to mass produce Latex Balloon.

Foil Balloons

Beginning in the late 1970s, some more expensive (and longer-lasting) Foil Balloons have been made of thin, un-stretchable, less permeable aluminised plastic films which keep the Helium Gas from escaping for several days.Foil Balloons are also light weight which increases buoyancy.

Foil Balloons are not elastic like Rubber Balloons, so when detailed and colourful pictures printed on their surfaces (Printed Foil Balloon), they are not distorted when the balloon is inflated.

Helium balloons

Initially hydrogen was used to make balloons float. However, it easily explodes and is highly flammable so understandably it was used mainly for scientific experiments.

Hydrogen was eventually replaced by helium. Helium is a non-toxic, non flammable, inert gas that occurs naturally in the air we breathe and is also found underground it has 92.64% of the lifting power hydrogen. Although considered a safe gas, it should never be inhaled intentionally as it can cause suffocation.

Increased safety due to the use of helium meant it was possible to use balloons in new ways.

When Latex Balloons are filled with helium they typically retain their buoyancy for only a day or so. The Helium Gas escapes through small pores in the latex which are larger than the helium atoms. You can treat Latex Balloons with a hi-float gel that makes them less porous and helps keep the helium in the balloon.

Latex Balloons filled with air usually hold their size and shape much longer.

Plastic and Foil Balloons are less permeable and can float anything from 5 days to 5 weeks depending on size and material used for manufacture. That's why Printed Foil Balloons are popular and often used as Printed Promotional Balloons.

Balloons are not just for fun

Balloons' properties, including their low density and relatively low cost, have led to a wide range of applications. While some balloons are purely decorative, others are used for specific purposes such as meteorology, medical treatment, military defence, or transportation.