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How to Make Hot Ice for Generating Warmth

How to Make Hot Ice for Generating Warmth

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Heating pads or packs are excellent tools to use when you want to quickly warm your hands, feet or other parts of the body.  However, they are limited in their ability to warm large areas or provide heat for more than one person at a time.  You can use similar ingredients that are found in these pads and fashion a heater that can provide warmth over a larger area.

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Prepackaged Sodium Acetate
You can purchase sodium acetate trihydrate from some stores, but getting it online is a lot easier, faster and less expensive.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add about a cup of the substance to another, dry pot.  Slowly stir in the boiling water until the material starts to dissolve, and turn on the burner below this pot as well and bring everything to a low boil.  Stir constantly.  The idea is to add just enough water to dissolve the crystals but not too much that the solution becomes diluted.  The less water, the better.  You will get a better understanding of what proportions to use with a little bit of practice and experience.

Pour the mixture into a glass container, but leave any undissolved residue in the pan.  Place the container into the refrigerator for between 30 minutes to an hour.  Pour the contents of the container into a large cake pan or tray.  Scoop up a little bit of the residue from the pan with a toothpick and stick it into the center of the liquid in the tray or pan.  You will notice that it immediately solidifies.

Temperatures can reach upwards of 130 degrees and this solid mass will generate heat for up to a few hours in many cases.  You can make the product as big or as small as you like depending on your needs.   Discard when finished.

F7P3GW8F7DWQUOV.MEDIUM-1Making Homemade Sodium Acetate
You can make your own hot ice with some common household ingredients as well.  However, the mixture won’t be as “pure” as the product you purchase.  This can slightly reduce the efficiency of the warmer, but it will still be highly-effective.

The first step is to add 6 tablespoons of baking soda, not baking powder, to an empty pot.  Slowly pour 2 liters of white vinegar into the pot, occasionally stirring to prevent the mixture from fizzing and overflowing.  Keep stirring until the fizzing subsides and the mixture appears clear like water.

Bring the solution to a boil and stir occasionally until about 90% of the water has evaporated.  You will notice that the remaining solution develops a crust around the edges and develops a yellow-brown color when it is ready.  Make sure to stir as the water evaporates to prevent the formation of a thick film on top of the solution that can neutralize the heat-generating reaction that you are trying to create.  However, film on the sides is okay.

Pour the solution into a glass container along with adding another 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar.  Stir the mixture until everything is evenly dissolved.  Place the container into an ice bath and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes.  Remove from the ice bath, pour into a tray or pot and sprinkle some of the crystals that formed on the sides of the pot during the boiling process.  The solution will solidify and begin to generate heat.

Remember that the reaction occurs when you add crystals to the cooled mixture.  Consequently, you can prepare the mixture ahead of time and add the crystals when you need to generate heat.  Both methods will help you to generate heat and avoid the limitations of heating pads.  Try it out for yourself and see how this option can help you to generate a decent amount of radiant heat for a small group of people without the need to build a fire.

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