What inflates balloons. How to inflate a balloon with helium at home? How to blow up a big balloon

Balloons are able to decorate any holiday and create a unique atmosphere in the room.

Inflate the balloon first to the maximum size, and then release 10% of the air from it, so you can extend the life of the balloon, because its surface will become more elastic.

Before filling the balloon with helium, fill it with air and then deflate it. This additional maneuver will increase the size of the balloon when inflated with helium by 10% and increase its service life. Also, gas leakage can be avoided if the ball is defective.

Do not pre-inflate balloons with helium, since inflated balloons can only stay in the air for no more than 18 hours (with a diameter of 30 cm). It is best to inflate the balloons directly on the day of the celebration.

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balloons how to inflate

You can inflate balloons at home using a homemade hydrogen plant. To make it, you will need a bottle, copper sulfate, salt, a syringe, a hose, and copper and aluminum wires.

Balloons are an invariable attribute of the holiday, but what if you have to inflate a large number of balloons, but there are no helium cylinders? No problem. You can get your own hydrogen without even leaving your home. To do this, you need a simple plastic bottle, syringe, hose, natural cork, blue vitriol, copper wire, aluminum wire, and preferably aluminum foil, sealant, edible salt, and the actual balloons themselves.

As a replacement for aluminum wire or foil, you can use an aluminum can, the only condition is to clean its inner surface from paint and a protective polymer layer. And yet - all work is best done in protective gloves and goggles.

Stages of assembling a hydrogen plant

Two holes need to be drilled in the bottle cap: one for the hose, the other for the syringe. For better attachment of the syringe on its tip and in one of the holes on the cap, it is desirable to make a thread. Fix the syringe and hose in the holes made, and coat their joints with sealant. Put a plug on the free end of the hose - it will secure the ball. A copper wire must be attached to the syringe piston, and the junction should also be treated with a sealant. An aluminum wire or crumpled foil is required to be tied to the free end of the attached wire. The piston will allow free movement of the aluminum reagent in the bottle.

By putting the aluminum reagent into the bottle and closing the lid, you can get a ready-made hydrogen plant. To start its operation, the cap from the bottle, together with the aluminum reagent, must be removed, and copper sulfate and edible salt should be poured into the bottle in a 1: 1 ratio. Pour in water and wait until the mixture is completely dissolved. The contents of the bottle need cold, for this it can be placed in a basin of cold water. A balloon is put on a cork fixed at the end of the hose, after which the aluminum must be immersed in a solution of vitriol and salt and screw on the lid.

How is the process of inflating the balloon

The reaction will follow immediately: the hydrogen released will fill the balloon. As the aluminum oxide film dissolves and the solution is heated, the reaction will only accelerate. In case of too rapid hydrogen evolution, aluminum can be removed from the solution by pulling the syringe plunger towards you. Pulling the balloon directly on the neck of the bottle is strictly prohibited! The resulting balls can be left in the form in which they are, or you can stick around them with white or black bags, as well as attach an LED and launch the ball in the dark.

When decorating holidays with balloons, helium balloons are often used. We will tell you how to properly inflate with helium and tie balloons.

You will need

- cylinder with compressed helium (volume 10 liters or 40 liters);
- 12" latex balloons;
- braid for tying inflated balloons - decorative polypropylene tape 5 mm wide;
- scissors for cutting tape.

Instruction

Install the helium gas cylinder correctly and safely. During inflating balloons with helium, the balloon must be installed in a way that excludes its fall, overturning and any movement. Large cylinders (40 l) are placed in a standing position. Small cylinders (10 l) can be placed horizontally, provided they are securely fixed on a table or on the floor.

We prepare the tape. For tying helium balloons, as a rule, pieces of braid 1.5 m long are used. We cut the required number of ends of the braid (according to the number of balloons) with scissors. For children's holidays, the ends of the braid are made longer: 2.0-2.5 m - so that children can get them. The main thing is that all ends of the braid have the same length.

A foil balloon, unlike latex (rubber), does not stretch and has a valve for inflation, not a neck.

If the balloon is inflated with air.

We find the valve of the ball, it usually looks like in the picture: a round hole with a silver color "inside".

We will also need a tube for cocktails (as an option, it can be a ball stick or even a case from a untwisted pen).

The tube must be inserted into the valve hole, under a translucent, and sometimes completely transparent film. Again, just like the picture.

It happens that this film may not be found.
In this case, we insert the tube just under the top layer of foil towards the center of the ball.
Ideally, if the length of the tube allows you to move it 5-10 cm inward. This must be done very carefully. The fact is that a slamming valve sometimes tends to stick together a little (during long-term storage, excessive pressure, or simply high storage temperature).
A sudden movement can break the ball and complicate the task.

So, putting the tube a little deeper into the valve, try to make a control exhalation into the ball. If no air comes out, spread the balloon or push the tube a little deeper.
If it goes, then you can start inflating the balloon.

When the ball is about to be almost strong, remember again where you are taking it, and what temperature conditions are there.

Upon completion, you can confidently remove the tube, the valve behind it will instantly close, and the air will no longer come out.

If there is doubt about the strength of the valve, a hiss of escaping air is heard, and the ball quickly lost its elastic appearance, then it is better to blow the ball again and tie the ball with a tape above the valve.

If the balloon is inflated with helium.

In general, the essence is the same, except that in this case it will be necessary to inflate not with the mouth, but with a balloon.
To inflate foil with helium, we need a nozzle for such balloons.

The complete set looks like this.

The wide part of this nozzle is screwed onto the balloon. (You already know that when buying an adapter, you should take into account the diameter of the neck of your cylinder?).

A separate adapter for foil balls is already screwed into the wide part.

This is the tube that needs to act in the same way as when pumping air.

That is, we introduce it into the valve in the direction of the center of the ball, then blow it to the required size, take out the tube and enjoy life.

!Important when inflating with helium:

In order to avoid breakthroughs of the ball, it is better to pre-blow the ball through the tube with air. That is, literally one exit to make sure that the valve opens and air enters the ball without obstacles.

There is a lot of pressure in a helium tank, even with a slight opening of the valve. Any sharp entry into a poorly open valve, and the valve will simply break.

Have a good holidays.

Balloons are an essential attribute of festive events. Therefore, in this material we tell you how to inflate a balloon without helium. To make it fly, you must use one of the methods below at home.

Ways to inflate a balloon without helium so that it flies

Since it is impossible to inflate a balloon with helium without a balloon, we advise you to choose an alternative. At home, it is quite simple to do this by considering our life hacks.

No. 1. Alkali

To carry out manipulations by the hydrogen method, you must take:

warm water;
flask;
foil;
a teaspoon;
alkali (for example, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda)).

1. Pour water into the flask to fill the container ½. Send inside the foil cut into small pieces.

2. Measure out 3 tablespoons of soda and pour. Now, without delay, pull the ball over the neck of the flask.

3. Shake the container to start the reaction of the foil with sodium hydroxide. Hold the ball by the rubber band, it should not come off.

4. When the foil pieces dissolve and the balloon is inflated to your needs, remove it and make a knot.

Now you know how to make a gel ball at home.

No. 2. Battery with electrodes

Prepare the following:

plastic basin (volume 15 l.);
plastic bottles (2 pcs., 1 liter each);
purified water;
battery (12 watts);
electrolyte (sulfuric acid);
electrode (not strictly copper, but graphite).

Before inflating a balloon without helium, protect your eyes, breathing passages and skin. To make it fly, it is better to follow the step-by-step instructions at home.

1. Pour water into the basin so that the liquid fills about ½ of the container. Now take a plastic bottle 1, fill it with electrolyte, stepping back from the neck by 3 cm.

2. Pull the ball over. Now make holes at the bottom of the bottle very tightly by inserting an electrode into them. The device must fit tightly enough so that the composition does not leak out.

3. Do the same with bottle 2. Now place these containers in the basin, put the battery nearby with the electrodes connected to it (follow the polarity +, -).

4. Connect the battery to the network, watch the process. A balloon stretched over a bottle with “-” polarity will be filled with hydrogen and rise, and the second one will be filled with oxygen, but will not fly.

No. 3. Copper sulfate with salt

Before inflating a balloon without helium, you need to prepare in advance:

cool purified water;
glass bottle;
foil;
table salt;
copper sulfate.

To make it fly, follow the simple instructions at home. Protect your hands with gloves and wear goggles for protection.

1. From a piece of foil 20 * 20 cm, you need to cut strips of about 5 mm. Send the finished ribbons to a glass bottle.

2. Pour 85 gr. into the same container. salt and 75 gr. vitriol. Close the neck immediately. A reaction will start due to the supply of oxygen.

3. You can't do without an assistant, so act quickly. Pour into a bottle of 0.45 liters. purified water. Put the balloon on the neck immediately.

4. Hold it, otherwise it will fly off. The reaction will start immediately. You will be able to inflate several balloons, so don't waste your gas.

The flying balloon is perfect for any holiday event. Usually, purchased flying balloons are filled with a light volatile gas such as helium. At home, it is almost impossible to get such gas without special equipment. But helium is not the only gas that can be used for such purposes. At home, without too much work, you can get hydrogen, which is also suitable.
But here it is worth considering that hydrogen is extremely explosive, so it is undesirable to make more than one ball. And in general, the whole experiment should be carried out outside the houses and in the open air.

It will take

For experience we need:

- aluminium foil,
- pipe cleaner (Titanium, Mole) - Caution! Alkali!
- plastic bottle,
- bucket with water,
- rubber ball
- funnel,
- water,
- etc.

We make a flying ball with our own hands

When conducting the experiment, be sure to use rubber gloves and special goggles to protect your eyes!
First of all, roll the kitchen foil into small strips and cut into small pieces. And collect in a small plastic cup.

We got 7 grams, you can take more foil, the reaction will go faster and there will be more hydrogen.

We also take a pipe cleaner (TITAN or MOLE) in granules, 19 grams is enough for us. Be careful this is a caustic substance, wear rubber gloves. In case of contact with hands, rinse with plenty of water.

Next, we take a plastic bottle, filling it one third with water, and lower it into a bucket of cold water. For convenience, we take a funnel and pour our aluminum crumbs and pipe cleaner into the bottle, after which we quickly put the ball on the neck of the bottle so as not to release hydrogen. It is better to isolate the neck of the bottle with electrical tape.

The reaction begins, the ball is completely inflated in about 15-20 minutes, the plastic bottle is heated and so that it does not melt from overheating, it is dipped into a bucket of cold water.

As a result of the reaction of aluminum, sodium hydroxide and water, sodium tetrahydroxoaluminate and hydrogen are formed, which inflates our balloon.

When the ball is inflated, we squeeze the bottle so that part of the hydrogen from the bottle goes into the ball, twist the tail tighter and remove the electrical tape, after which we remove the ball from the neck.

We wash the tail with water, if our balloon is not completely inflated, you can blow it up a little like a regular balloon.

We ask someone to hold the ball and tightly tie the tail.

The ball flies very well and will delight you and your children. In order for the balloon not to deflate in half a day, use a gel for flying balloons, for example, “hi float”.

Conclusion

At the end of the experiment, I would like to add that such a ball will descend to the ground in about 6-12 hours of flight. To increase this time, you can use a special gel, which is sprayed in specialized stores selling such balls.
Be careful: a pipe cleaner (Titanium, Mole) is used to make the ball - this is a caustic alkali, be extremely careful!
Also, do not bring the inflated balloon close to the fire. Otherwise, the hydrogen in the balloon will bang with a loud bang.

Kids love balloons. Balloons create a festive atmosphere, you can play with them, and adults are also often partial to this type of festive decor. Foil balloons look especially beautiful and elegant. Such balls serve as a self-sufficient holiday decoration, while latex ones often serve only as a basis for compositions.

Foil balloons letters, numbers or fairy tale characters can play the role of a toy for a child. And these balls are not so expensive.

Another plus of foil balloons is that they can be re-inflated without losing their properties. Therefore, it is worth knowing how to inflate a foil balloon at home.

Not the cheapest option, but the most spectacular, because helium is lighter than air and allows balloons to float under the ceiling. The process of inflating with helium is best left to professionals, but you can try to do it at home. To do this, you need a gas cylinder and an adapter. The sequence of actions looks like this:

we put the adapter on the balloon, and insert the other end into the ball;
we straighten the figure so that the gas flows easily and evenly inside;
beforehand, it is worth blowing a little with your mouth through the tube so that the valve opens smoothly, otherwise it may break from a sharp flow of helium;
inflate until the product takes shape. It is important not to overdo it here. Despite the fact that foil balls are strong enough, it is possible to inflate, from which the foil will tear or the seam will open;
close the valve and tie the tail.

If the celebration is planned in hot weather, then it is better to inflate the product a little less. Then, in the heat, the helium expands and the ball acquires the desired shape.

The option of inflating figures with helium is hardly suitable for a small celebration. A gas bottle is not cheap, and it makes no sense to buy it for the sake of a few balloons. It is possible to rent a balloon. If you find an organization that provides such services, you can use this option.

Inflate with air

Foil figures inflated with air will not fly, but this option of inflation will cost you almost free. But here, too, there are two ways: you can inflate with your mouth, or you can use a pump. The choice of inflation method depends on the size of the balloon - small figures can be inflated by yourself, and it is better to inflate large ones with a pump.

Inflate by mouth

The easiest way to inflate a foil balloon at home. To do this, you need a cocktail tube or a regular ballpoint pen. The handle must be untwisted and the rod removed, we will use only its main part. We insert the tube or pen into the ball valve and very slowly begin to blow. If you start very hard, you can damage the valve. Do you feel that the air is not getting in well? Push the tube further into the balloon and try again.

Inflate with a pump

To date, there are many options for small pumps on sale that will greatly facilitate the process of inflating balloons. The process is the same as when inflating by mouth - insert the tube into the balloon valve and inflate.

Tie the ball correctly

Large foil products have a self-sealing valve, which, after the balloon is inflated, just needs to be sealed. After that, we tie the tail with a ribbon into several knots so that air or helium does not come out of the balloon.

Balloons inflated with air can be put on a special tube that will hold the figure.

A properly inflated foil balloon can hold its shape for several weeks. But even when it comes down, do not rush to throw it away. Now you know how to inflate a foil balloon at home and give it a second life, and the balloon will continue to delight the child or decorate another holiday.

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