Talk:Heating pad

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[edit] merge

I disagree with the suggested merge. A hand warmer is similar to a heating pad, perhaps, if anything, it can be considered a type of heating pad at best. But heating pads are often used as medical devices, particularly for athletic injuries, whereas hand warmers are jsut about always used for cold-weather comfort. furthermore, I've never heard of a handwarmer that could be plugged into a wall socket. If anything, this article should be expanded, and hand warmer should be merged here, not vice versa. Shaggorama 06:17, 12 January 2006 (UTC)

I misread the merge proposal because it was not specified anywhere. To clarify, I agree with merging Hand warmer into this article. Shaggorama 20:17, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

Although some of the material is duplicated, the problem is really one of definition. If a hand warmer is something quite distinct from a heating pad (and I think it is) then I suggest separate articles are more appropriate as long as there are clear links between them and any overlap is explained. The fact that they might operate on the same principle is not relevant to the argument, but perhaps those principles should have their own articles. --Shantavira 19:48, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

I Disagree with the Proposed Merge, as the items described by each page are clearly different. Some designs of each may have similarities, ie. method of heat production, but a rigid hardwarmer containing a stick of activated carbon would be no use to you following an injury. The two pages should stay separate, and perhaps the information on the recrystalisation heat generation method should be moved to a separate page. Sandothegrate 15:17, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Supercooled/Supersatuated

Supercooled is the term used for a liquid that has temperature below its freezing point but does not have the energy required for the change. Supersaturated is the wrong term, as it applies to solutions that have a greater amount of solute than the solution can normally hold at its temperature. -Tabmoc72 17 January 2006

Agreed - in this case it is a supersaturated solution. Sodium acetate trihydrate dissolves in its own water of crystallisation when heated and doesn't re-crystalise when cooled until triggered. The solution is therefore super-saturated not super-cooled nor is it below any freesing point. Add a little more water to make it a normal solution at NTP and the freezing point will be found somewhat below 0 degrees C. Velela 09:04, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

Considering the edit war over this point, I think something to this effect should be added to the article. Lots of people have mistakenly believed that the solid formation is due to freezing rather than recrystalisation. njh 09:30, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

Happy to do that but would suggest this is left for a couple of days to ensure all contributors are content that we have the right answer. Velela 09:38, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

The heating pad information is useful in part because of the link to heating (easy for a student to make the connection), so if you do merge, please consider merging handwarmer into heating pad