LECTURE38

ElectricResistanceHeating
Contents
Principlesofelectricheating
Requirementsforaheatingelement
AvailableMaterials
Lifeoftheelements

KeyWords:electricheating,heatingelements,power,refractorymaterials
Principlesofelectricheating
Whenacurrent I flowsthroughaconductorofresistance R ,heatisproducedandthereis
temperatureriseofconductorsinelectricalcircuits.Temperatureriseisundesirableandmustbelimited
bydesigntoavoidoverheatingoftheconductororitselectricalinsulation.Thisisoftentermedas
permissiblesurfaceloadingofaconductor.Theconductorcouldbeintheformofwire,stripsorany
othershape.
Permissiblesurfaceloadingisoftenaprimeconsiderationinchoosingthebestsizeoftheconductoror
heatingelement.Therelationshipis
q in watt

I R

UA T(1)

Inwhich iscurrent, isresistance, isoverallheattransfercoefficient, issurfaceareaofthe

conductorandTistemperaturedifferenceresultingduetoflowofcurrent.
Considerawireofcircularcrosssection.Theresistance R is
R

,(2)

InwhichKisresistivityin. m, lislengthofconductorinm and isdiameterin .Thesurfacearea

ofthewire
A

lD(3)

Combining1,2and3weget,
D

0.74

I K
U T

(4)

Thisrelationshipgivesminimumdiameterin ofaconductorofspecificresistivityK whichcanbeused

tocarrycurrent I withoutincreasingthetemperatureoftheconductortoavaluemoretheT above
thesurrounding.
Requirementsforaheatingelement

Itshouldhavemeltingpointgreaterthanfurnacetemperature.
Itshouldnotreactwiththeatmosphereofthefurnace.Commonlyfurnaceatmospheresare
oxidizing,reducingandmaycontainwatervapour.
Itshouldberesistanttothermalandmechanicalshock.
Itshouldhaveenoughresistivity.Resistivityistheabilityofamaterialtoinhibitflowofcurrent
inpresenceofappliedvoltage.

AvailableMaterials
Broadlyspeakingthreedifferenttypesofmaterialsareavailablenamelymetallic,refractorymetalsand
nonmetallicones.
Metallic:Amongmetallicmaterials,NickelchromeandironchromeAlarecommonlyused.Nickel
chromecanbeusedupto1200 .IronchromeAlcommonlyknownasKanthalcanbeusedat
temperatures1200 to1400 .Pureplatinumcouldbeuseduptown1400 whereasalloysplatinum
andrhodiumcanbeusedupto1700 .PtRhalloyscanbeusedinreducingatmospheres.
Refractorymetals:
Molybdenumandtungstenareused.Mocanbeusedupto2500 and upto3000 .Tungsten
heatingelementscanbeusedindryhydrogenatmosphereandundervacuum.
Nonmetallic
Molybdenumdisilicidealsoknownassuperkanthalcanbeusedupto1750 .Thesafetemperature
dependsontemperature.Inair,molybdenumdisilicideheatingelementscanbeusedupto1700 ,in
reducingatmosphereupto1400 .
Siliconcarbideheatingelementsareusedinhydrogenandreducingatmospheresupto1200oC.Inair,
thetemperatureis1500oC.
Siliconandgraphiteareusedeitherinreducingorinaninertatmosphere.Maximumtemperatureis
2200 .

Elementtype

Advantages

Disadvantages

Metallic

i) Available in strip and wire form so i)Relativelylowmaximumelement

thatfabricationiseasy

temperature

ii) Less expensive than SiC and MoSiO2 ii)Needsupportingmechanism

elementsforthesamepowerinput
iii) Resistance increases with time
iii)Linevoltagecanbeused
due to reduction in cross section
caused by oxidation and creep,
these results in decreased power
outputandfailure.
SiliconCarbide

i)Elements are self supportive. They i) Costly power control equipment

can be used in furnaces that are too is required than metallic elements
(multitap
transformers
are
wideortoolong
needed)
ii) Available in wide range of shapes
ii) Brittle in nature and hence
andsizes.
breakseasily
iii) Capable to operate at higher watt
loading than metallic elements and iii) Electrical resistance increases
hence higher temperature can be withtime,maintenanceisrequired
obtained
iv)Elements can be changed while the
furnaceishot

Molybdneum
disilicide

i) Available in a variety of shapes and i) More costly power control

equipmentthanmetallicelements
sizes
ii) Without material degradation fast ii)Elementsareexpensive
thermalcyclingispossible
iii)Riskoffracture.
iii) Relatively easy to change while the
furnaceishot
iv) Stable resistance, that means new
andoldelementscanbeconnected.
v) Can operate at higher watt loading
and temperature than metallic
elements.

Thelifeoftheelementsdependson

1.Fluctuationinsupplyvoltage:Forevery1%increaseinvoltage,therewillbea2%increaseinpower.

2.Wattdensityoftheheatingelements.

3.Ifmorepowerisneeded,increasethediameteroftheelementwireorreducethelengthofthe
element.

4.Theelementsmustbeoperatedatthedesignvoltage.

5.Forthecyclicnatureapplicationselementsneedadequatespacetomoveontheirhangersor
supports.Elementsshouldnotbelocatedclosetothebottomortoarefractoryshelfbecauseexpansion
maycausethemtorestontherefractorywhereheatwillnotdissipatefromtheelement,allowingahot
spottodevelop.

.
SourceDaniel H.Herring dherring@heat-treat-doctor.com