Yes, HotHands warmers need oxygen to function.
HotHands, like other air-activated warmers, rely on an exothermic (heat-releasing) oxidation reaction. This means the ingredients inside the pouch, primarily iron powder, react with oxygen in the air to produce heat.
Here's a breakdown of how it works:
- Ingredients: The pouch contains iron powder, water, salt, cellulose, vermiculite, and activated carbon.
- Oxygen Exposure: When the airtight packaging is opened, oxygen from the air comes into contact with the iron powder.
- Oxidation Process: The iron reacts with the oxygen in a process similar to rusting, but much faster. This reaction releases heat.
- Other Ingredients' Roles:
- Salt acts as a catalyst to speed up the oxidation.
- Water is necessary for the reaction to occur.
- Cellulose, vermiculite, and activated carbon help disperse the heat and keep the mixture moist.
Essentially, the process is controlled rusting. Without oxygen, the chemical reaction that generates the heat cannot occur. Shaking the HotHands pack is recommended because it can speed up the initial warming process by helping to better distribute the ingredients and expose more iron particles to oxygen.
