Balloon fabric

Description

A plain-weave, coated Cotton fabric used for hot air balloons and airplane air cells. Balloon fabric was tightly woven with 120-180 threads per inch. Typically, the fabric was laminated with layers of rubber or plastic. Each additional layer of cloth was rotated 45 degrees to minimize potential distortions. The finished product was coated with an aluminized paint to reduce heat absorption. Balloon fabric has also been used for typewriter ribbon, artificial flowers, and upholstery fabric.

Synonyms and Related Terms

balloon cloth; airplane cloth

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 249

• Rosalie Rosso King, Textile Identification, Conservation, and Preservation, Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, NJ, 1985