Instant ice?

[Ferret]

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1755006

Anyone know how this works? It looks really intriguing...I'm guessing its a chemical reaction?

 

[Umbran]

There's more than one way to skin that particular cat.

A trick along those lines can be done with simply supercooled water - if water is very pure, you can get it down below the freezing point without creating crystals, if you are careful. Then, a disturbance (say, pouring), would then start crystal formation, like you see there. This seems likely, given that the ice they show starts melting pretty much immediately - it was only just barely at the freezing point.

You can probably also do this with an endothermic chemical reaction that steal heat energy out of the water to drive itself.

 

[Merkuri]

Here's another video that explains the process a bit more. I think the process is the same.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/601280/make_instant_hot_ice/

 

[Mycanid]

Here's another video that explains the process a bit more. I think the process is the same.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/601280/make_instant_hot_ice/

MUST ... NOT ... THREADJACK!!!

ARGH!!!!

 

[Umbran]

Here's another video that explains the process a bit more.

Okay, rather similar to what I was saying above, in that it has a supesaturated solution. But... that isn't ice - you should wouldn't want to put it in your lemonade.

 

[Pyrex]

Right, but what was shown in the first video may not be ice either.

It is possible that the first video is showing supercooled water though; I've seen something similar when throwing cans of soda in the freezer to rapidly cool them.

Leave them in a little to long, and when you take them out you can clearly feel the soda sloshing around, but as soon as you pop the top the whole thing freezes solid.

 

[Mycanid]

Okay, rather similar to what I was saying above, in that it has a supesaturated solution. But... that isn't ice - you should wouldn't want to put it in your lemonade.

Or touch it ... talk about freezer burn!

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Whatever it is, I'm sure its rare and highly unstable.

 

[Umbran]

Leave them in a little to long, and when you take them out you can clearly feel the soda sloshing around, but as soon as you pop the top the whole thing freezes solid.

*nod*. Same principle as I mentioned - but pressure is what keeps the soda from crystallizing at the freezer temperature. Ice is slightly less dense than water, so to freeze, water has to expand. When you pop the top, the pressure is released, and the ice crystals can form.

 

[Ferret]

This sounds worth a try! Thanks guys!