Heating elements are a part of our daily life and it is almost inconceivable to fathom how things were prior to its proliferation into our lives. Heating elements are found in common household appliances, automobiles, industrial products, medical appliances and so on. Heating element converts electricity to heat. The standard heating element found in most of the consumer appliances is chromium of alloy filaments .The most commonly used heating element is nichrome. Nichrome is not only an inexpensive element but also an element with high resistance. The heating element is made of an inner wire surrounded by filler material enclosed in a copper or stainless steel sheath.

Types of heating elements

1. Alloy of nickel and chromium branded as nichrome is a widely used heating element in hair dryers, ovens and toasters. This heating element is silver-grey in color and is corrosion resistant.
2. Coil of nichrome wire in a ceramic binder and sealed inside a metal shell is called calrod or sealed element. These elements can be a straight rod as in toasters or can be coiled to fit in a smaller space as in electric stoves and coffee maker.
3. PTC ceramic or Positive Thermal Coefficient ceramic is a heating material with high resistivity. Thin film of this material is used in automotive rear window defrost heaters, expensive hair dryers and space heaters.
4. Another heating element is heat lamp that is a tubular high power incandescent lamp that radiates infrared. This is usually found in radiant space heaters and food warmers. Heat lamp is used for creating heat for the purpose of animal husbandry.

For high temperature furnaces the heating elements are made of materials like platinum, molybdenum disilicide and silicon carbide.

Silicon Carbide Electric Element

Silicon carbide igniters are common in gas ovens. Silicon carbide electric heating elements are used in furnaces or kiln and as a radiant heat source. These heating elements are designed for high temperature thermal processing applications. Silicon carbide heating elements are economical, dependable, clean, quiet and safe.

Moldatherm Heating Element

This heating element is used in conveyer furnaces. Moldatherm heaters have superior temperature uniformity. Durability and extended lifetime are key features. Moldatherm heating elements have superior control over temperatures. The energy consumption is less if the heating element is Moldatherm.

LGO Heating Element

LGO or Light Gauge Over-bend heating elements offer fast temperature ramping compared to other standard industry heating elements. These elements have no magnetic field inside the tube. These elements are durable and have extended lifetime features and save upto 40% of electricity.

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