How Balloons Are Made

Making Latex

Latex used to be made out of the sap of rubber trees. Today, synthetic latex is often used to meet growing demand. Made from various polymers, synthetic latex tends to be more cost-effective because rubber tree sap has to be imported from other countries, like Malaysia.

Dipping

To get the right shape for a balloon, a mold is dipped into warm, colored liquid latex (natural or synthetic). The latex is now mixed with calcium nitrate or alcohol so that the rubber particles bind together nicely on the mold. The opening of the balloon is then rolled to provide a place to blow up the balloon, and then everything gets rinsed with hot water. Now it's into a 200-degree F oven to cook for approximately 20 minutes.

Stripping

The final step is taking the balloon off of the mold. This process is called "stripping" and it is an automated process. The latex at this point should be a solid so there is little concern about a machine causing tears or rips, although that does happen occasionally.

Resources

• How Balloons are Made
• The making of balloons
• Latex