The Ideal Combination of Kevlar, Silicone Rubber, and Cotton for Oven Mitts
When baking and cooking, holding hot items is very common so it is vital to have an oven mitt which can protect hands from extremely hot items. This experiment tested the heat transfer capabilities of three heat-resistant materials to determine which combination of these materials would make the most effective heat-resistant oven mitt. The three combinations tested were Kevlar/silicone rubber, Kevlar/cotton, and silicone rubber/cotton. Determining which of the three combinations is the most effective at limiting the amount of heat that can be transferred is vital to safety when using oven mitts, as using ineffective oven mitts could lead to dangerous burns.
Trials were conducted by layering two materials in one of the combinations stated above, pressing a temperature probe to the inside of the materials, and measuring the final temperature after the material was pressed against a hot ceramic mug for sixty seconds. After running the trials and analyzing the data, the scientific hypothesis that the Kevlar/cotton would have the lowest average final temperature was rejected. The silicone rubber/cotton trials resulted in the lowest average final temperature of 35.01., much lower than the Kevlar/cotton and Kevlar/silicone rubber trials of 38.57. and 41.21., respectively.
Based off the results of this experiment, an oven mitt made of silicone rubber and cotton is the best choice to protect from the extreme heat, as after holding a hot item for a long period of time, it had the lowest final temperature.
Research Conducted By:
RaeLynne Carra
Cousino High School
Mackenzie Nitz
Warren Woods Tower High School
Warren Consolidated Schools