Temperature auto-regulating, self-heating recoverable articles

A self-heating, self-regulating, heat-recoverable article for use in an alternating magnetic field, comprising:

• a layer of heat-recoverable material which has been deformed in shape or dimensions from its original shape or dimensions and which has a recovering temperature T at which the article is capable of recovering to its original undeformed shape or dimensions upon being heated at least to temperature T and having dispersed in said layer of material lossy heating particles having a Curie temperature of T or greater, whereby said particles are capable of heating to Curie temperature when subjected to an alternating magnetic field and are capable of self-regulating at Curie temperature while in such magnetic field, thereby being capable of heating said layer of material to a temperature of T upon being subjected to an alternating magnetic field and capable of self-regulating the temperature of said layer of material at Curie temperature, and wherein said particles are adapted or arranged in said material such that the particles do not provide an electrically conductive path in said layer of material during heating or recovery.

A method of providing a self-heating, self-regulating, heat-recoverable article for use in an alternating magnetic field comprising:

• applying an electrically non-conductive layer of lossy heating particles having a Curie temperature of T or greater, being capable of heating to Curie temperature when subjected to an alternating magnetic field, and being capable of self-regulating at Curie temperature while in such magnetic field, to a surface of a heat-recoverable article comprising a layer of heat-recoverable material which has been deformed in shape or dimensions from its original shape or dimensions and which has a recovery temperature T at which the article is capable of recovering to its original undeformed shape or dimensions upon being heated at least to temperature T, thereby providing a self-heating, self-regulating, heat-recoverable article wherein the layer of said particles is adapted to change shape or dimensions to conform to the shape or dimension of the article as it recovers to thereby maintain said thermal contact during recovery of said layer of heat-recoverable material.