Best small balloon material for containing helium?

[John Doe]

After a little research, I noticed there is a lot of float time
difference between regular balloons and aluminum balloons. Is there an
easy to obtain, very light material which will contain helium for a
long time? I'm thinking the size of a beach ball or maybe a little
larger. I don't mind fussing with a material if it helps produce a very
small balloon which will stay afloat for a long time.




Out of curiosity, is helium extremely difficult to contain?

[Rich S.]

"John Doe" > wrote in message
...
> After a little research, I noticed there is a lot of float time
> difference between regular balloons and aluminum balloons. Is there an
> easy to obtain, very light material which will contain helium for a
> long time? I'm thinking the size of a beach ball or maybe a little
> larger. I don't mind fussing with a material if it helps produce a very
> small balloon which will stay afloat for a long time.
>
>
>
>
> Out of curiosity, is helium extremely difficult to contain?

Stop. Right there. Before you go any farther, read
http://www.checkoutthisstupidwebsite.com/people.html.

Have a good day,
Rich S.

[Ron Natalie]

John Doe wrote:
> After a little research, I noticed there is a lot of float time
> difference between regular balloons and aluminum balloons. Is there an
> easy to obtain, very light material which will contain helium for a
> long time? I'm thinking the size of a beach ball or maybe a little
> larger. I don't mind fussing with a material if it helps produce a very
> small balloon which will stay afloat for a long time.
>
>
>
>
> Out of curiosity, is helium extremely difficult to contain?

Rubber is porus. The mylar (what you are calling aluminum) isn't.

[Pete Schaefer]

Kapton ain't too bad, either.


"Bryan Martin" > wrote in message
news:BDD622D5.38D04%
> particles are much larger so hydrogen is easier to contain. Mylar is used
> for helium balloons because it is so much less porous than rubber the
helium
> can't leak through it easily.

[QDurham]

Bryan said in part:

>Helium is difficult to contain because the gas particles are so small they
tend to diffuse through the tiny pores in rubber balloons. Because helium is a
noble gas, its atoms don't normally combine with any other atoms to form
molecules, not even other helium atoms. So helium gas is composed of individual
atoms of helium and it is the second smallest atom there is. Most other
elements form diatomic molecules in their gaseous state and any
molecule formed from two atoms is going to be much larger than a helium atom.
Hydrogen, for example, is half as heavy as helium but its gas particles are
much larger so hydrogen is easier to contain.

Keeping in mind hydrogen's explosive qualities, might it not be a better gas
for small toy balloons? I've even heard of blowing soap bubbles with hydrogen
and poking them with a lighter of some sort. Availability?

Quent

[Pete Schaefer]

Actually, it's really difficult to keep a hydrogen fire burning. If you want
to keep a hydrogen fire lit, you need to maintain pressure. Hydrogen fires
tend to blow themselves out. Hydrogen as a lifting gas is really only
dangerous if you use rocket-fuel compounds for your envelope (e.g.
Hindenburg).

"QDurham" > wrote in message
...
> Keeping in mind hydrogen's explosive qualities,

[Bill Daniels]

"QDurham" > wrote in message
...
> Bryan said in part:
>
> >Helium is difficult to contain because the gas particles are so small
they
> tend to diffuse through the tiny pores in rubber balloons. Because helium
is a
> noble gas, its atoms don't normally combine with any other atoms to form
> molecules, not even other helium atoms. So helium gas is composed of
individual
> atoms of helium and it is the second smallest atom there is. Most other
> elements form diatomic molecules in their gaseous state and any
> molecule formed from two atoms is going to be much larger than a helium
atom.
> Hydrogen, for example, is half as heavy as helium but its gas particles
are
> much larger so hydrogen is easier to contain.
>
> Keeping in mind hydrogen's explosive qualities, might it not be a better
gas
> for small toy balloons? I've even heard of blowing soap bubbles with
hydrogen
> and poking them with a lighter of some sort. Availability?
>
> Quent

At one time the US Navy used hydrogen generators for weather balloons.
Basically, it was crock with muratic acid and aluminum scrap in it. There's
a top with a hose connection to the balloon.

Yes H2 will explode if mixed with the right amount of air - just like
gasoline. However, if it just leaks, it departs straight up without
pooling. It's not too big a hazard.


Bill Daniels

[jc]

Ron Natalie wrote:

<snip>

> Rubber is porus. The mylar (what you are calling aluminum) isn't.

Actually mylar is porous hence the aluminium layer. Most plastic films are
porous even to largish molecules hence the use of an aluminium layer in any
sachet packaging where this may be a problem.

--

regards

jc

LEGAL - I don't believe what I wrote and neither should you. Sobriety and/or
sanity of the author is not guaranteed

EMAIL - and are not valid email
addresses. news2x at perentie is valid for a while.