FINGER COOLING BY CONTACT WITH COLD ALUMINUM SURFACES - EFFECTS OF PRESSURE, MASS AND WHOLE-BODY THERMAL BALANCE

Finger skin temperature change during contact with a cold aluminium su rface was studied in 20 subjects (10 men and 10 women). Contact pressu re (0.1 N, 5.9 N and 9.8 N), contact material mass (large one, mass 35 59 g, small one, mass 108 g), surface temperatures (-7 degrees C, 0 de grees C, +7 degrees C) and whole body thermal balance were controlled as independent factors. The contact experiments were performed in a sm all chamber and only the first section of the index finger of the left hand was in contact with the aluminium surface. The results indicated that all the factors studied had significant effects on the contact s kin temperature change with time. The study confirmed that a modified Newtonian model with two components can accurately describe the contac t skin temperature change with time. The study resulted in three predi ctive models for critical skin temperature when in contact with cold a luminium. The results indicated that metal surfaces in contact with ba re hands should not be below 4 degrees C surface temperature. Lower te mperatures require insulating material or the wearing of protective gl oves.