SAVING LIVES WITH HIGH-TECH BLANKETS
(FEBRUARY 15, 2015) ANN ARBOR, MI - The core technology used in Warmilu’s blankets has been around for decades, and is similar to what’s used in glove-warming packs that are popular in Michigan this time of year. The blankets contain a detachable pack filled with what Hsia describes as “phase-changing” materials, meaning they go from a liquid to a solid, or vice-versa. Although the specific makeup of those materials is proprietary, once they are activated by a button on the blanket they become liquid, a process that slowly emits stored energy in the form of heat. After the materials have cooled and returned to a solid state, the detachable pack inside the blanket can be “recharged” through boiling or microwaving. It then retains that energy—or heat—until the button is pushed again, whether it’s a day later or a year later.
