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Rixter
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Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/10/2017 5:50 PM

Here's an interesting experiment I recently ran across. Orange peels contain a chemical called limonene which attacks rubber. Pinching the orange peel squirts out limonene popping the balloon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3K6aESmgxg
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SolarEagle
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#1

Re: Pop a balloon with an orange peel

03/10/2017 5:58 PM

Wow, never seen that....works fast.....what else is it good for? I'll think twice before running over any oranges with my car....not that I can recall that ever happening, but it could account for some unexplained flat tires....maybe

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Rixter
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#3
In reply to #1

Re: Pop a balloon with an orange peel

03/10/2017 7:23 PM

Limonene is a non-polar solvent. As an experiment, I sprayed a balloon with WD-40. It popped after about a minute. It might be interesting to try various other non-polar solvents like gasoline, mineral spirits, turpentine, etc.

Limonene
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Tornado
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#2

Re: Pop a balloon with an orange peel

03/10/2017 5:59 PM

Maybe worth a new line in a NACE chart.

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JE in Chicago
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#4

Re: Pop a balloon with an orange peel

03/10/2017 7:59 PM

you know what's fun about this? You ask someone to look closely at your orange peel before you give it a squeeze.. I haven't done that one in decades but it's a real knee slapper.

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vsar
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#7
In reply to #4

Re: Pop a balloon with an orange peel

03/12/2017 10:30 AM

Closely watching an orange peel sqeezed is sad as it will always bring you to tears!

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gutmonarch
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#5

Re: Pop a balloon with an orange peel

03/10/2017 11:18 PM

That's why some people don't like the smell of oranges and lemons. They might eventually pop up any time.
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dkwarner
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#6

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/11/2017 11:05 PM

That's a new one to me, too! It's amazing how fast it occurs.

A nearby video shows that it's only that fast with balloons made from non-vulcanized rubber, and is indeed due to the solvent in the orange peel, not the acids.

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daffy
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#8

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/12/2017 6:27 PM

Nothing "new"...did this as a rampaging kid more that 20 years ago terrorizing parties.
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Rixter
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#9
In reply to #8

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/12/2017 9:47 PM

Yeah, oranges and balloons have been around for a long time. It's surprising that a lot of us had never seen this.

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daffy
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#10
In reply to #9

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/12/2017 10:44 PM

Not sure what the balloons were made from back then, but I had at least 5-10 secs to get away before they popped. Wasn't as instantaneous as the video shows. You might as well use a pin now.
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gutmonarch
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#14
In reply to #10

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/13/2017 1:38 PM

Have you tried it with a lighter?
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James Stewart
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#15
In reply to #14

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/13/2017 2:06 PM

You aren't supposed to fill the balloons with flatus.

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dkwarner
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#16
In reply to #15

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/13/2017 3:23 PM

How can I mark that email both as a "Good answer" and also as OT?

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James Stewart
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#17
In reply to #16

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/13/2017 3:50 PM

try one of each and see if they cancel?

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IdeaSmith
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#11

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/13/2017 7:32 AM

Also try Orange peel against a lit candle. Nice little flames come from it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WocQFhU73Q

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James Stewart
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#12
In reply to #11

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/13/2017 11:34 AM

Shhh....someone you know might try firing their boiler with orange peels instead of old tires or waste oil.

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vsar
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#13
In reply to #12

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/13/2017 12:11 PM

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Phys
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#18

Re: Pop a Balloon with an Orange Peel

03/13/2017 4:51 PM

Must be a real problem in Florida and California during "orange season". Run over dropped oranges and your tires start to melt.

Have to ask my son - he moved to Florida last year.

Might want to think of this when spraying orange based cleaner around tires as well. That is the prime cleaner in such - limonene.

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Users who posted comments:

daffy (2); dkwarner (2); gutmonarch (2); IdeaSmith (1); James Stewart (3); JE in Chicago (1); Phys (1); Rixter (2); SolarEagle (1); Tornado (1); vsar (2)

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