Can Supercooling Have Practical Uses Beyond Hiking Heating Packs?

[Siracuse]

(No, not homework)

This struck me by curiosity. What applications could supercooling possibly have?

 

[Fearless]

Quite a few actually.

The first thing that comes to mind is how you actually can avoid machines being supercooled. In clouds you got supercooled droplets of water and other materials, which roughs up the wings on aeroplanes. This is not good for the plane to maintain design specs.

Another would be new ways of making materials and maybe new processes in industry, although this is very speculative. :)

This is an area in physics that is very little understood to my knowledge. But please, it would be fun to hear how it works and what you use it for.

 

[mgb_phys]

It is used in heating packs for hikers, you have a solution of some salt which is heated to melt it - it stays liquid as it cools until something triggers the freezing, ussually alittle 'clicker' that creates a shock. When it freezes it gives out heat. You recharge it by heating it to melt the substance.

I don't know but I imagine it could be used to make alloys of metals that would otherwise separate while being slowly cooled.