HAND WARMER

1.First,webrainstormedallthematerialsthatcreateheatwhentheyreactwitheach
other.Wewonderedhowdifferenthandwarmersdifferwhendifferentmaterialsare
used.Wealsowanttoknowhowstoreboughthandwarmerswork

2.Ourhandwarmerwillbeaheatsealedplasticbag,surroundedontheoutsidewith
felt.Thefeltisusedforcomfort,andtohelptraptheheatinsidethehandwarmer.
Insidethebagwehave15beadsand5gramsoflithiumchloride.Wefoundthatthe
bestratioofbeadstogramsoflithiumchloridewas3beadsper1gramoflithium
chloride.Ourprototypecanbeseenbelow:

Ourreactionisanexothermicreaction,becausethereactionreleasesheatand
energy.InourreactionLithiumChloride(LiCl)solidreactswithWater(H2O)liquidto
formLithiumHydroxide(LiOH)liquidHydrochloricAcid(HCl)liquid.
InthisreactionLithiumchlorideisreactingwiththeWatertocreatethe
Exothermicreaction,theSodiumPolyacrylatehelpstoabsorbheat.
Inthereactionioniccompoundsdissolveinwater,H
0moleculesseparatethe
2
ionsintotheliquid.ThepositiveendsoftheH
0moleculesfacethenegativeions.
2

5.Thetotalcostfor100handwarmerswillberoughly$108.00,includingpackaging.
For100handwarmers,thelithiumchloridewillcost$94.00.Thistakesuparound85%
ofthecost.Theothercostsinclude$3.00fortheZiplocbagmaterial,$10.00forthefelt
fabric,and$1.00forthecombinationofthewaterbeadsandthetinysaltbags.Ouridea

istocharge$1.50foroneand$2.50fortwo.Ourprofitoutofthiswillbeverysmall,
about$0.34pertwohandwarmers.Thatisalrightthough,forprofitisnotourgoal.

4.Data:Theidealhandwarmerincreasesintemperatureby20Casquicklyas
possibleandhasavolumeofabout50mL.Inthesesevendatatables,weevaluated
differentsaltstoseehowthetemperaturechanged,heldheat,andcooleddown,in
ordertodeterminewhichsubstances,andinwhatamounts,touseinordertomakean
idealhandwarmer.

Materials

MagnesiumSulfate
Anahydrate(MgSO
)
4

Mass(g)

CalciumChloride(CaCl
)
2
5grams

5.04grams

5.2grams

4.93grams

InitialWaterTemp.(C)

19.8C

18.4C

20.2C

20.8C

FinalWaterTemp.(C)

23.6C

20.6C

27C

27.6C

TemperatureChange(C)

3.8C

2.2c.

6.8C

6.8C

.497(C/g)

.497(C/g)

1.34(C/g)

1.34(C/g)

AverageTemp.ChangePer
Gram(C/g)

Materials

SodiumCarbonate(NaCO
)
3

StrontiumChloride(SrCl
)
2

Mass(g)

5.13grams

5.8grams

5.13grams

InitialWaterTemp.(C)

20.3C

20.5C

19.8C

20C

FinalWaterTemp.(C)

25.1C

28.8C

18.8C

18.4C

TemperatureChange(C)

4.8C

8.8C

1C

1.6C

1.24(C/g)

1.24(C/g)

0.25(C/g)

0.25(C/g)

AverageTemp.ChangePer
Gram(C/g)

5.14grams

Materials

Mass(g)ofMagnesium
Chloride(MgCl
)
2

Mass(g)ofAmmonium
Nitrate(NH
NO
)
4
3

Mass(g)

5.04grams

5.24grams

4.49grams

InitialWaterTemp.(C)

19.5C

19.8C

19.9C

19.7C

FinalWaterTemp.(C)

20.4C

20.9C

13.9C

14C

TemperatureChange(C)

0.9C

0.9C

6C

5.7C

0.17(C/g)

0.17(C/g)

1.176(C/g)

1.176(C/g)

AverageTemp.ChangePer
Gram(C/g)

5.01grams

Mass(g)ofLithium
Chloride(LiCl)

5.03grams

5.19grams

InitialWaterTemp.(C)

19.8C

19.6C

FinalWaterTemp.(C)

35.9C

36.3C

TemperatureChange(C)

16.1C

17.3C

3.268(C/g)

3.268(C/g)

AverageTemp.ChangePer
Gram(C/g)

Conclusion:LithiumChloride(LiCl)wasthemostefficientincreatingheatandsustaining
thatheat.DuetothedatainthisexperimentwedecidedtouseLithiumChloride(LiCl)
forourhandwarmers.
PrototypeData:
PaperTowelwithWaterinaPlasticBagwithLithiumChloride(LiCl)
Mass(g)

InitialTemp.(C) FinalTemp(C)

Time(Minutes)

Efficiency(15)

2g

26.5C

50.9C

1min.52sec.

2g

25.2C

49.6c

1min.48sec.

WaterBeadswithLithiumChloride(LiCl)
Mass(g)
1g

Initial
Temp.(C)

Final
Temp(C)

Time(Minutes)

Efficiency(15)

26.2C

48C

1min.53sec.

WaterBeads
20

5g

23.8C

58.3C

5min.15sec.

10

5g

23.4C

57.1C

5min.28sec,

15

WaterBeadsWithFeltandLithiumChloride(LiCl)
Mass(g)

Initial
Temp.(C)

FinalTemp(C)

Time(Minutes)

Efficiency(15)

WaterBeads

5g

23.5C

In:63.4COut:45.2C

8min.22sec.

15

5g

24.2C

In:62.8COut:47.6C

8min.33sec.

15

WaterBeadsandLithiumChloride(LiCl)inabag,insideabagofwater.
Mass(g)

Initial
Temp.(C)

FinalTemp(C)

Time(Minutes)

Efficiency(15)

WaterBeads

2g

23.7C

33.2C

4min.23sec.

2g

24.3C

35.6C

4min.27sec.

WaterBeadBaginaBagofLithiumChloride,withClothAroundit.
Mass(g)

Initial
Temp.(C)

FinalTemp(C)

Time(Minutes)

Efficiency(15)

WaterBeads

5g

23.2C

In:62.3COut:45.6C

8min.53sec.

5g

23.6C

In:60.3COut:44.7C

9min.22sec.

Conclusion:Throughour5prototypes,ourlasttrialwiththeclothwasthemostefficient.
Webelievedthatbyusingthecloth,theheatistrappedinforalongeraboutoftime,
andisabletodistributetheperfectamountofheattothehands.Itdoesnotholdthe
headforaslongaswehoped,butitisasperfectaswecouldmakeit.

3.Themaintestsweneedtoconductareonlytoensuresafety.Withoutthefelt,our
handwarmerheatsuptoadangeroustemperature,whichwemustcontain.Thefelt
usuallydoesthisjob,butwemustensureitwassafeeachandeverytime.Thesetests
includetakingdirecttemperatures,testingdifferentwaterbeadtolithiumchloride,and
concludingourchoiceofplasticbags.

6.Ourhandwarmerconsistsoflithiumchlorideandabagofwaterbeadsallwithina
sealedbag,coveredbyfelt.Tostartit,youpopthebagcontainingthewaterbeads,
exposingittothelithiumchloride.Then,thesetworeactcreatingtheheatoverashort

periodoftime.Itheatsuptoaveryhottemperature,whichiscontainedbythefeltcase
resultinginaperfecttemperature.