Balloons? who, how, when?

Lights,Camera,Action!! oh wait...

We are very excited to get this balloon blog active! But before I start to blog about my experience & designs with balloons, i thought i will start with the basics about the balloons~

Question #1.
Who made the first balloon?

The first rubber balloons were made by Professor Michael Faraday in 1824 for use in his experiments with hydrogen at the Royal Institution in London.Faraday made his balloons by cutting round two sheets of rubber laid together and pressing the edges together. The tacky rubber welded automatically, and the inside of the balloon was rubbed with flour to prevent the opposing surfaces joining together.

Question #2.

when was the first foil balloon made?

Silver Mylar metalized balloons were first developed for the New York City ballet in the late 1970s.

Question #3.

Where does latex come from?
Latex is a naturally occurring milky sap that comes from rubber trees (Hevea brasilliensis) that grow in many of the world's rain forests. Currently, the country of Maylasia is the world's largest producer of natural Latex. The Latex is collected by cutting the bark of the tree with a knife and catching the Latex in a cup as it drips out. The process is very much like the way sap is harvested from maple trees to make maple syrup. This harvesting is accomplished all without doing permanent damage to the tree. A single rubber tree can produce rubber for about 40 years!

Question #4.
Why do helium balloons float?
Helium is lighter than air and just as the heaviest things will tend to fall to the bottom, the lightest things will rise to the top.
*Helium is a colorless, odorless, tasteless inert gas at room temperature and makes up about 0.0005% of the air we breathe.
*Helium's principal source is natural gas wells where it is extracted from the crude natural gas stream and purified and that it can be stored and shipped either as a gas or a cryogenic liquid
Question #5.
How long will my Helium filled balloon will float?
On average, untreated 11 inch diameter Helium-filled Latex balloons can be expected to float for about 10-12 hours, and 16 inch diameter Latex balloons will float for up to 24-36 hours after being initially filled (your "mileage" may vary depending on temperature and atmospheric conditions!) Treating the inside of Latex balloons with a water soluble, transparent plastic material called Hi-Float® will greatly help them hold their Helium longer. This product works because its molecular structure (plastic) is much "tighter" than Latex rubber, so it reduces the rate of Helium loss through the Latex balloon's outer wall.

**Balloons are a lot of fun! whether you have a bouquet of them or decorate with them, they are fun and cause a celebration! please remember to keep them away from small children (hence the warning sign here) Enjoy them and give a couple to a friend!

WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD --Children under Eight (8) years can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Adult supervision is required.  Keep all uninflated balloons away from children and discard broken balloons at once. Care should be taken while inflated balloons are near eyes and eye protection is always recommended while inflating balloons. For health and safety reasons, do not inflate balloons by mouth.  Inhaling Helium can also result in serious lung injuries and/or suffocation. Do not inhale Helium from a balloon or a Helium tank under any circumstances!