[rice]

Hi everyone,  Not too sure if this is the right place to ask this but looking for some help.

I need a solution to inflate balloons without air,  many many balloons.  What i hope to do is use a small amount of some chemical that can be inserted into a balloon during manufacturing.  I hope to be able to inflate te balloons later by somehow activating the chemical.  maybe by using UV light,  or some other way that does not involve inserting another chemical.  any ideas?  Thanks in advance

[curiouscat]

One option

2 NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2

You'll have to heat it a bit to get it going. Your baloon musn't melt away.

A rough calculation says a few gms ought to be enough for a regular toy baloon.

Not sure if reverse equilibrium will mess this up.

[curiouscat]

Could also try other nitrates and carbonates. A lot will decompose on heating. Find one that's cheap, non toxic, non corrossive and will decompose fairly easily.

[rice]

Thanks curious cat.  Can you think of one that might work well with a quick heating? 

[Archer]

Thanks curious cat.  Can you think of one that might work well with a quick heating?

Sodium bi-carbonate with sodium aluminium sulphate (baking powder) needs heat for the reaction to occur, you could try that.

[Arkcon]

The dilemma is that you now have a balloon full of "some gas" and some spent solid, either of which might be hazardous to  ... I assume children, who are the only people who really enjoy balloons that much, but YMMV.  What you want is the smallest amount of the most harmless substance, to create the most amount of gas, and fairly rapidly too.  We have a term for such substances ... explosives.  So anything that works in a tiny amount in your soft balloon can be dangerous in large amounts in a rigid container.

[Archer]

We have a term for such substances ... explosives.  So anything that works in a tiny amount in your soft balloon can be dangerous in large amounts in a rigid container.

Even in "safe" amounts explosives don't work on soft balloons, the expansion of gas is too rapid. If you have enough to fill the balloon the pressure of detonation will destroy it. If you put less in to avoid this you get a lackluster balloon which is barely inflated.