How do the ‘air activated‘ handwarmers work? Is it a chemical reaction?
Your body heat gets trapped inside. I'm not 100% sure on what you mean by handwarmers, but it would work the same way as a scuba divers' wet suit or a birds feathers. Here in Australia we put drink holders on our cans of icy cold beer to keep our hands warm and this is what I've come to know as a handwarmer.
Your body heat gets trapped inside. I'm not 100% sure on what you mean by handwarmers, but it would work the same way as a scuba divers' wet suit or a birds feathers. Here in Australia we put drink holders on our cans of icy cold beer to keep our hands warm and this is what I've come to know as a handwarmer.
Quoted directly, from website below: Warmers operate on a chemical reaction with air similar to rusting. The warmer ingredients are iron, water, cellulose, vermiculite, activated carbon and salt. The heating process takes place in this fashion: The iron in the pouch, when exposed to oxygen, oxidizes and therefore produces heat (aka, Air Activated). When iron oxidizes it produces iron oxide, more commonly referred to as rust. The salt acts as a catalyst. The carbon helps disperse the heat. The vermiculite is used as an insulator for the purpose of retaining the heat and the cellulose is added as a filler. All of these ingredients are surrounded by a polypropylene bag. Polypropylene allows air to permeate the ingredients while holding in moisture.
Quoted directly, from website below: Warmers operate on a chemical reaction with air similar to rusting. The warmer ingredients are iron, water, cellulose, vermiculite, activated carbon and salt. The heating process takes place in this fashion: The iron in the pouch, when exposed to oxygen, oxidizes and therefore produces heat (aka, Air Activated). When iron oxidizes it produces iron oxide, more commonly referred to as rust. The salt acts as a catalyst. The carbon helps disperse the heat. The vermiculite is used as an insulator for the purpose of retaining the heat and the cellulose is added as a filler. All of these ingredients are surrounded by a polypropylene bag. Polypropylene allows air to permeate the ingredients while holding in moisture.
