About the Helium Balloon

Balloon history

• Originally balloons were toys made from animal bladders and other animal intestinal sections that would expand when inflated. Rubber balloons first started in 1824. Professor Michael Faraday was experimenting with hydrogen gas, and formed the first rubber balloon by sealing two sheets of rubber with a place for the gas to enter. This was made into kits the following year, and balloons have been popular ever since.

  Both hydrogen and helium are lighter-than-air gases, and both have been used in balloons large and small. And though hydrogen gas has more lifting power, helium became more popular because it is a safe and inert gas.

Balloon Materials

• There are two main materials used for balloons. Rubber balloons, or latex rubber balloons filled with helium will hold their shape only for about one day. The pores in the rubber are much larger than helium molecules, so helium easily escapes rubber balloons. They are made from natural material, tree sap, and are biodegradable. However, according to the 2000 study "Plastics and Their Impacts in the Marine Environment" by A.L. Andrady, "Latex rubber balloons are an important category of product in the marine environment. Promotional releases of balloons that descend into the sea pose a serious ingestion and/or entanglement hazard to marine animals."

  In the 1970s, foil balloons were made by putting a metal film on light nylon. Foil balloons do not expand when inflated. The foil also has smaller pores than rubber, and the helium does not escape as fast into the atmosphere. People should never intentionally release foil balloons. They are not biodegradable, and they can cause problems when in contact with power lines.

  Regardless of whether they are latex or foil, balloons should not be used for mass releases due to their detrimental impact on the environment.

Weather Balloons

• Weather balloons are helium-filled rubber balloons, with a radiosonde attached to a nylon string. The radiosonde collects weather information, such as wind and humidity measurements, and transmits it to earth. As the balloon rises higher, it expands. When the balloon eventually bursts, the radiosonde has a built-in parachute to carry it safely back to earth.

  There are 900 locations around the world where weather balloons are released twice a day to gather data. The balloons are a standard size--two meters in diameter. As the balloon rises, it will expand to a diameter of six meters before bursting, about 20 miles above the earth. The radiosondes include information so that they can be returned and re-used.

Blimps

• Blimps are giant helium balloons, also known as airships. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company began building airships for the Navy near the end of World War I. Between the wars and during World War II, Goodyear had its own fleet of airships, and the company built additional airships for the Navy.

  During the 1930s, Goodyear built two rigid airships, the USS Akron and the USS Macon. These two airships conveyed loads to and from ships at sea, so the ships could stay out longer. Both blimps were lost in storms.

  During World War II, airships were used along the Pacific coast as surveillance for submarines. These blimps could fly for a week at a time, and were equipped with radar detectors.

  The US Navy's last blimp was decommissioned in 1962. Goodyear blimps were still used for research. The Goodyear blimp fleet was also a marketing tool for the company. Blimps film sporting and political events. Advertising is sold on signs on the blimps. The logging industry had also done some research and experiments using them.

  Though the Navy no longer keeps a fleet of airships, blimps are perform surveillance.

Helium Balloons for Fun

• Helium balloons for parties can be special-ordered for printing--names for a wedding, school logo for graduation or homecoming, company logos and messages for marketing and advertising.

  Foil balloons can also be ordered to the shape of a logo, and custom-sized, as well. Rubber helium balloons are often joined with one or more foil balloons for bouquet and decoration. The helium will escape from the rubber baloons quickly, but foil balloons that keep the helium longer will keep the celebration memory longer, too.

  You can often find balloons at your local grocery or drug store, or you can rent helium gas cylinders to fill your own balloons.