Ice pack

From Wikipedia, de free encycwopedia
  (Redirected from Gew pack)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
An ice pack
An ice pack wif gew weaking out of a howe in de upper weft corner
Shipment of vaccine in insuwated box wif gew packs

An ice pack or gew pack is a portabwe pwastic bag fiwwed wif water, refrigerant gew, or wiqwid. To be prepared for use, de pack is first pwaced in a freezer. Bof ice and oder non-toxic refrigerants (mostwy water) can absorb a considerabwe amount of heat before dey warm above 0 °C (32 °F) used to keep food coow in portabwe coowers, or as a cowd compress to awweviate de pain of minor injuries, or in insuwated shipping containers to keep products coow during transport.[1]

Ice packs are used in coowers to keep perishabwe foods (especiawwy meats, dairy products, eggs, etc.) bewow de 5–75 °C (41–167 °F) danger zone when outside a refrigerator or freezer, and to keep drinks pweasantwy coow. The amount of ice needed varies wif de amount of food, its initiaw temperature, de dermaw insuwation of de coower, and de ambient temperature and exposure to direct sunwight. Ice initiawwy weww bewow freezing temperature wiww wast a wittwe wonger.

Water has a much higher watent heat of fusion dan most substances, and a mewting temperature which is convenient and easiwy attained wif, for exampwe, a househowd freezer. Additives to improve de properties of water are often used. For exampwe, substances can be added to prevent bacteriaw growf in de pack, or to prevent de water from sowidifying so it remains a dick gew droughout use.

Gew packs are often made of non-toxic materiaws dat wiww remain a swow-fwowing gew, and derefore wiww not spiww easiwy or cause contamination if de container breaks. Gew packs may be made by adding (Cewwusize),[2] sodium powyacrywate, or vinyw-coated siwica gew.

Instant ice packs[edit]

An instant cowd pack is a device dat consists of two bags; one containing water, inside a bag containing ammonium nitrate, cawcium ammonium nitrate or urea. When de inner bag of water is broken by sqweezing de package, it dissowves de sowid in an endodermic reaction, uh-hah-hah-hah. This reaction absorbs heat from de surroundings, qwickwy wowering de pack's temperature.[3]

Instant cowd packs are a convenient direct repwacement for crushed ice used as first aid on sport injuries, and can be carried as first aid to remote or wiwderness areas where ice is unavaiwabwe or not appropiate for de situation, uh-hah-hah-hah.

Hot-or-cowd packs[edit]

Unwike instant cowd packs, dat are stored at room temperature and qwickwy chiww demsewves when needed for one-time use, reusabwe hot cowd packs are merewy a materiaw dat howds its temperature weww, so dey are stored in a freezer or heated in water or a microwave oven to reach de desired temperature. The first hot and cowd pack was introduced in 1948 wif de name Hot-R-Cowd-Pak and couwd be chiwwed in a refrigerator or heated in hot water.[4] The first reusabwe hot cowd pack dat couwd be heated in boiwing water or a microwave oven was first patented[5] in 1973.

Safety concerns[edit]

Gew packs have been made wif diedywene gwycow and edywene gwycow. Bof can cause iwwness if ingested in warge amounts,[6] making dem unsuitabwe for use wif food. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission recawwed such packs.[6]

See awso[edit]


  1. ^ Singh, S P; Burgess, Singh (2008). "Performance Comparison of Thermaw Insuwated Packaging Boxes, Bags and Refrigerants for Singwe-parcew Shipments". Packaging Technowogy and Science. 21: 25–35. doi:10.1002/pts.773. Retrieved 9 Oct 2018.
  2. ^ "Versa-Pac™ Reusabwe Heavy Duty Cowd Pack" (PDF). Unipatch: Materiaw Safety Data Sheet. Tyco. February 2004. Archived from de originaw (PDF) on December 30, 2006. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  3. ^ Marshaww Brain, uh-hah-hah-hah. "Cowd Packs". How Refrigerators Work.
  4. ^ "To Warm or Coow You." Popuwar Science, August 1948, p. 138.
  5. ^ Nortech Labs History - Patent of Reusabwe Hot Cowd Pack, Dec. 25, 1973, Patent No. 3,780,537 [Nortech Labs History |]
  6. ^ a b "Cawifornia Innovations Expands Recaww of Freezer Gew Packs Due to Ingestion Hazard". Retrieved 2014-08-06.