Dry Gel Ice Roll Thermapack #337

STORAGE: Always store the dehydrated gel ice sheets in a dry area. Keep them in a plastic bag if they will be stored over a long period of time. If the dry powder is continually exposed to humid air, it will clump into larger crystals, preventing the powder from hydrating fully. The cells will also be lighter.

HYDRATING THE GEL PACKS: To hydrate the dry gel powder in the cells, immerse in clean water. Smaller cells will require 4-5 minutes to fully hydrate. The larger Thermapack #637 (8-oz) will require 10-15 minutes to hydrate. Longer immersion will insure full hydration.

AFTER HYDRATING THE GEL PACKS: Remove the gel packs from the water, shake off excess water, and allow to drip dry. They can be dried by hand to quicken the process. If they have been immersed for a long period of time, there will be excess water in the cells. This can be removed by gently squeezing the gels. If excess moisture will not be a problem with your packaging, the extra water can be left in the cells.

FREEZING THE GEL PACKS: When freezing, KEEP THE PLASTIC SIDE DOWN. Do not place the fabric side against the freezer surface or other fabric surfaces when freezing the gels. The fabric side will freeze to itself and also to the freezer surface. It will not freeze to the plastic side of the gel sheet, so multiple sheets can be stacked in the freezer. If you will be processing large sheets that will not lie flat in the freezer, roll the sheet up with the plastic side IN, and then protect the exposed fabric with the plastic side of another piece of dry gel sheet.

CUTTING TO SIZE: The sheets can be cut to size when dry, after hydration, or after freezing. It is easiest to trim the sheets when dry. Avoid accidentally cutting open the individual cells, which would allow the hydrated gel to leak out. Although the gel is non-toxic, it is messy when released.The dimensions of the dry sheet will shrink when hydrated. This is due to the swelling of the individual cells to 1-1/2" thick. The Thermapack products will shrink from 18.5" to about 15" in width. Keep this in mind before cutting large numbers of sheets ahead of time. Final determination of the correct size to cut for your application is best made with the product hydrated.

REFREEZING / REPEAT USAGE: Dry gel ice sheets can be refrozen and reused. The cells can be rehydrated if they begin to shrink. After many uses, the cells might not fully hydrate as the gel begins to crystalize.