How to make a helium balloon at home so that it flies? Ways to quickly inflate a balloon and get helium yourself How to do without helium when inflating balloons.

  • 17.06.2019

Preparation for the holiday should be thorough, especially for events for children. Boys and girls are indescribably delighted when they see helium balloons pointing upwards. Such festive attributes give the atmosphere a special atmosphere, but it is not always possible to assemble a composition from balloons from professionals. In an emergency, look for alternative ways at home.

Table salt and copper sulfate

Prepare in advance cool filtered water, food foil, glass bottle, table salt and blue vitriol. Wear rubber gloves, a hooded gown and goggles to avoid skin damage.

  1. Unfold a sheet of foil and cut a plate measuring 18 * 18 cm into thin lines of about 0.5 cm, then send the strips to a liter glass bottle. Then pour 75 gr. blue vitriol and 85 gr. crushed table salt. Immediately cover the neck with your hand to prevent a reaction due to the admission of oxygen.
  2. At this stage, you will need the help of a friend, since the procedure must be carried out quickly. Pour into a bottle of 430 ml. filtered water, quickly put a ball on the neck and hold it at the base. Keep in mind that the reaction will start instantly, you will know about it by the state of the mixture, it will go into the gaseous phase.
  3. Try not to release the mixture "for nothing", one such composition is enough for several balls. On average, one balloon will inflate for about 4 seconds, so don't hesitate.

Important!
Keep your face away from the mixture bottle to avoid damage to the skin and mucous membranes of the eyes. If the ball bursts or breaks off the neck, you can be seriously injured. Hold the vessel at arm's length.

When the chemical reaction starts, the bottle will become hot in a short time. To avoid burns, you can dip it in cool water or squeeze it with an unnecessary cloth / towel.

Sodium hydroxide

The alkaline solution is dangerous for the skin, so be sure to wear gloves, a gown, goggles. Sodium hydroxide is a mixture of caustic soda and concentrated (caustic) sodium, which in itself is unsafe. Carry out the procedure away from children and pets, be sure to ventilate the room before and after inflating the balloons.

Prepare warm filtered water, sodium hydroxide (alkali), industrial or hookah foil (dense), a liter glass bottle.

  1. Type in a bottle of 450 ml. clean warm water.
  2. Take one sheet of foil measuring 20*20 cm. Divide it into thin lines or chop it into very small pieces, add to the water tank.
  3. Measure exactly 20 gr. sodium hydroxide and carefully pour it into the bottle, be sure to do this with gloves.
  4. Pull the base of the ball over the neck of the vessel, hold it tight so that the ball does not fly off.
  5. Shake the container, the foil should be completely immersed in the composition.
  6. You will see that the balloon will begin to inflate, do not try to get too much helium at a time, it is better to spread the composition over several steps.

This technique is considered the safest, because it does not include alkali or other industrial concentrates. However, precautions must be observed. Always use silicone or rubber gloves, goggles, and a gown.

Prepare a vinegar solution (regular table vinegar), its concentration should not exceed 9%. Make sure you have baking soda handy.

  1. The peculiarity of the method is that the composition is poured not only into a bottle, but also into a ball. Pour into a vessel 45-55 ml. vinegar solution, pour 30 gr. baking soda, then put its base on the neck of the container.
  2. Gently turn the bowl over so that the soda spills into the vinegar. The reaction will take place instantly: the container will become warm, and the balloon will begin to inflate.
  3. To fill the next balls, clean the bottle cavity from the previous composition, wipe dry and repeat the manipulations. The container must be dry, otherwise moisture will suppress the reaction.

Electrodes and battery

To prepare the composition, you will need to acquire a 12-watt battery, an electrolyte (sulfuric acid or potassium hydroxide is suitable), graphite electrodes (not copper!). In addition to the main components, take care of the presence of two liter plastic bottles, a plastic basin for linen and clean filtered water. As in all previous methods, protect your skin and eyes (put on a gown, gloves, goggles).

  1. Take a 15 liter basin, fill it clean water half.
  2. Pour potassium hydroxide / sulfuric acid (electrolyte) into the first liter bottle, 3-4 cm from the edge of the neck.
  3. Take the ball and put the base on the opening of the vessel, then make small holes in the bottom of the vessel and insert the electrode. Observe the tightness, the holes should not be wide so that the device fits snugly into the vessel.
  4. Do the same with the second bottle, following the sequence. When everything is ready, move on to the next step.
  5. Place both bottles in the basin, place the battery next to it and connect the electrodes to it, observing the polarity (plus “+”, minus “-”).
  6. Connect the battery to a power source, watch for the start of the reaction.

An important feature this method is that only one ball, located on the side with negative polarity, can go up (it will be filled with hydrogen). The second ball will be saturated with oxygen, so there is little sense from it.

Make sure you have on hand necessary materials and tools, observe safety precautions. Complicated ways using electrodes and a battery, as well as sodium hydroxide, should be entrusted to a man. Women will be able to translate into reality the preparation of the composition of soda and vinegar, salt and blue vitriol.

Video: do-it-yourself flying ball without helium

During the holidays, helium balloons are often in demand. Usually, they are bought ready-made (inflated) and brought to the holiday. Or, they invite specialists who come and inflate the balloons on the spot. However, it is not always convenient, and, most importantly, it is not very cheap. In order to significantly save money and not depend on strangers, you can inflate balloons with helium yourself. That's quite possible.

In order to inflate a balloon with helium, you will need a helium tank, balloons and a ribbon that is needed to tie the balloons.

Helium cylinders

Almost all companies that offer balloons wholesale and small wholesale (and they are in every major city), offer helium cylinders for rent, i.e. for rent. The practice is as follows: the buyer pays for the gas stored in the cylinder, pays a deposit for the cost of the gas cylinder (it is equal to the cost of the cylinder itself) and takes the cylinder with him. Then, after use, the buyer returns the cylinder, takes back the deposit, from which the cost of rent is deducted. For a couple of days, rent is quite inexpensive.

Distribution received large cylinders (40 l) and small (10 l). If we talk about normal balloons, 12" in size, which are inflated to a diameter of 28 - 30 cm, then about 400 pieces can be inflated from a large balloon, and about 100 pieces from a small one. For a home party or wedding, 100 pieces of large helium There are more than enough balloons, which is why citizens rent just such balloons, especially since small balloons are light (13 - 16 kg) and can be easily transported in any car.

You can read more about cylinders, their labeling, how to handle them safely, and how to move and transport them, in this article.

Balloons

In the same place where they give a balloon for rent, you can buy latex balloons in packs of 100, 50 and 25 pcs. You can choose from just multi-colored balloons (assorted colors), as well as balloons with a thematic pattern.

If there is a choice, then for outdoor use it is recommended to buy balloons manufactured by Sempertex (Colombia), and for indoor use it is recommended to use Latex Occidentl (Mexico). These balls are rounded and pleasant to work with.

It is not recommended to buy retail balloons by the piece, especially those balloons that are sold in non-specialized places. As a rule, Chinese-made products are sold there, which are of unpredictable quality.

The main thing to remember is that from one balloon of 10 liters, you can inflate about a hundred large latex balloons.

Braid

For tying inflated balloons, a narrow decorative polypropylene tape (width 5 mm) is used, which is sold in coils of 250 m (metallized) and 500 m (regular). For adult holidays, the standard end of the braid has a length of 1.5 m. children's holidays, use longer ends of the braid, 2 - 2.5 m long (depending on the height of the ceilings). In any case, if you use a 10 l balloon, one spool of tape is enough for all the balls. The braid is cut with ordinary scissors, as the balloons are inflated.

Inflating balloons with helium

The process of inflating and tying is shown in detail in the video instructions:

Let's note a few important points:

  • The position of the balloon should be such that the person is on the opposite side of the balloon being inflated. The direction of the gas jet coming out of the cylinder must not be directed towards people or pets. The fact is that when the balloon bursts, most of the pieces of latex fly towards the inflation of the gar.
  • A latex balloon consists of a neck and a balloon. The neck is used to tie the balloon, and the balloon is used to inflate with gas. As soon as the balloon begins to be fully inflated, and the gas supply continues, the neck of the balloon already begins to inflate. A ball whose neck is already inflated is considered to be inflated. In professional terms, when the ball begins to “grow a leg” (inflation of the neck of the ball becomes noticeable), then the ball must be stopped inflating the ball. An overinflated ball (a ball with a leg) is not only ugly, but it also has very thin walls, which is why it bursts.
  • The lifetime of balloons inflated with helium (we are talking about balloons with renowned quality: Colombian, Mexican) is 8 - 10 hours. After that, they begin to noticeably decrease in size, and then fall to the floor. This should be taken into account when planning a holiday. There are ways to increase the life span of helium balloons, but more on that next time.

All the best and happy holidays!

Balloons are an integral part of any solemn event. Multi-colored balls floating in the air give magical moments of childhood and carelessness. Such decorations attract children and adults. Nowadays, there are the most unrealistic shapes and shades of balls. They can be with drawings, original inscriptions, decorative elements, thanks to which their appearance becomes even more attractive.

Balloons can decorate an apartment or a room for celebrating a celebration. This is a versatile and popular type of decor, because it fits perfectly into any interior and is suitable for most holidays. Light balloons that are filled with helium have gained great popularity. To fill with this gas, special equipment is needed, but not everyone has it in stock. Therefore, many are wondering how personally make helium. This will require some effort, but then the composition of balloons will delight you and the invited guests for a long time. Consider some ways to fill balloons with air.

1) How to inflate balloons with helium - vinegar and soda

This is the easiest way to get flying balls. Thanks to an elementary chemical reaction, it is possible without special efforts blow up the balloons. To do this, you need vinegar, water, spoon, 2-liter flask. To make the ball light, you need to fill the bottle halfway with vinegar. Next, add a spoonful of soda and attach the ball's rubber band to the flask. Then carefully turn over. When soda gets into vinegar, a violent chemical process occurs, which is similar to a volcanic eruption. After that, the ball will gradually fill with air, but will not take off, because as a result of the reaction, carbon dioxide is released, and, as you know, it is heavier than air. But despite this, the ball is obtained attractive and airy.

2) How to inflate balloons with helium - a hydrogen cocktail

The next way to get flying balls is the use of alkali with aluminum.

  • The flask is half filled with water.
  • The foil is cut into pieces and placed in a container.
  • Next, add 80 g of salt and attach a ball to the neck of the flask.
  • Next, you need to shake it well, as a result of this reaction, the ball will be filled with air.
  • After dissolving all the components in the solution, the ball must be tied.
  • After the reaction has begun, it is necessary to proceed to action, otherwise nothing may come of it. One reaction allows you to inflate several balloons.
  • Remember that when reacting, the components emit heat, for this reason the flask must be placed in cool water so as not to get burned.

How to inflate balloons with helium - helium balloon

You can also inflate the balloon with helium using a conventional balloon. To do this, put the balloon on the cylinder tube, following the tightness, then carefully turn the valve and watch how the balloon inflates, then tie it up. This method is simple, the only thing that is needed for it is to find a balloon.

4) How to inflate balloons with helium - zinc and hydrochloric acid

If you want to inflate balloons with these substances, then you can do this if the balloons are not accessible to children. This is due to the fact that as a result of the reaction, oxygen is released, which is harmful to health. To prepare, you need to place 2 components in a bottle and put a ball on her throat. the view will be as beautiful and light as that of helium ones. Flying balloons will create a festive atmosphere and give a cheerful mood. Thus , you can properly organize a party and make it brighter and richer .

The colorful balloons floating in the air are very popular. The disadvantage of this entertainment is only that the balloons fly only when filled with helium. However, a balloon with this gas costs a little more. Fortunately, there are several ways to make it yourself and avoid high costs. So, how to make a helium balloon at home?

How to make a helium balloon yourself: basic aspects

Helium is a non-toxic and non-flammable gas that is lighter than air. For this reason, it is used to fill balloons. Helium is available in cylinders of various sizes and packaging. The smallest commercial container is a disposable bottle of helium gas. With this amount of gas, you can inflate 8-10 round helium balloons with a diameter of about 25 cm, and this pleasure will cost from 1,500 to 1,700 rubles.

However, as already mentioned, we can make flying balls on our own and with minimal cost. True, to inflate the balloon, we will not use helium, since its synthesis requires very low temperatures, which can only be achieved in laboratory conditions. In our case, the balloons will fly as a result of chemical reactions using available and inexpensive substances, so it makes sense to say that the balloons will be like helium.

About what chemical reactions is it about? In order for the balloon to fly, we need a gas that is lighter than air. Since helium cannot be synthesized in one's pantry, one more more accessible gas remains - hydrogen. Moreover, it is much lighter not only than air, but also helium, so balloons with hydrogen inside will soar up much faster. By the way, earlier with the help of this gas airships and balloons were lifted into the air.

Hydrogen can be obtained in the conditions of home cooking with the help of such available materials, as:

  • table vinegar;
  • baking soda;
  • aluminum foil or wire;
  • salt;
  • copper sulfate;
  • drinking water.

Making a flying ball: master classes

Well, as they say, less words, more action. First, consider a simpler and less costly way to inflate a balloon with hydrogen.

Acid and sodium bicarbonate

Necessary materials:

  • 150 g sodium bicarbonate or soda;
  • table vinegar - 500 ml;
  • plastic bottle;
  • balloon.

Process description:


Copper sulfate and salt

Necessary materials:

  • medical dropper;
  • a one liter bottle (preferably glass, as heat will be generated during the reaction and the plastic may melt);
  • copper sulfate - 100 g;
  • table salt - 100-150 g;
  • aluminum, preferably in the form of a wire up to 2 m long;
  • tap water - 0.7 l;
  • balloon.

Process description:


Thus, the balloon will be inflated without helium to fly, and the whole process will take you about 20 minutes.

What determines the duration of the flight of helium balloons?

The flight time of balloons filled with gas depends on the type of material used. In conventional balloons, helium quickly escapes from the pores of the shell material. That is why they often use special latex balloons of a traditional round shape or any other.

Round helium balloons normal conditions environment fly up to 10 hours. Balls made of special foil keep gas much longer - up to several days. In addition, they are reusable and can always be supplemented with gas or air.

Do you dream of decorating your house for a holiday party with flying balloons? "With my own hands" does not offer to buy expensive helium balloon. We will go the other way!

How to inflate a flying balloon

It will be especially interesting for children to participate in this business, so feel free to connect them to the process! Just remember to put on aprons and rubber gloves before starting the experiment: all the components are simple, but safety precautions nobody canceled!

FOR WORK YOU WILL NEED

  • air balloons
  • empty bottle, preferably 1- or 1.5-liter
  • tea spoon
  • funnel
  • table vinegar
  • baking soda

WORKING PROCESS

    1. Pour into a bottle vinegar by about a third.
    2. Pour 2–3 tsp into a ball through a funnel. soda.

Put the ball on the neck of the bottle. As a result of the interaction of soda and vinegar, carbon dioxide is released, which, as you know, is heavier than air. A balloon filled with carbon dioxide will not be able to rise up.

To make a balloon stick to the ceiling, rub it against any synthetic material and then "glue" it to the ceiling. Thanks to static electricity The ball will stay in this position for up to 5 hours.

how inflate balloons without helium see video.