Silicon Carbide Heater

Silicon carbide heaters are non-metal electric heating elements with exceptional thermal resistance and durability, making them an excellent choice for industrial settings that demand consistent heating with minimal temperature variations.

These elements are well-regarded for their reliable performance and chemical stability in challenging conditions, making them invaluable in environments requiring automated temperature adjustments for specific manufacturing applications.

High Temperature Resistance

Silicon carbide, or SiC, is an extremely hard and strong non-oxide ceramic material with an extremely high melting point of 2730degC and high creep resistance – qualities which make it ideally suited for use as heating elements. Due to this composition, silicon carbide heaters can withstand temperatures over 1600degC without becoming unstable in use; making this material perfect for applications requiring stable elements at higher temperatures.

Silicon Carbide Heater Manufacturers typically offer an assortment of element types to meet the diverse industrial needs. These elements range from the SC Type, which excels in applications requiring uniform heating with minimal temperature variance across large surfaces, to RR Star elements offering outstanding durability under fluctuating conditions. Furthermore, these elements come in multiple shapes and sizes to allow customization to your process and equipment needs.

The SC Type is a hollow tubular design with thickened ends that offers superior structural strength and temperature regulation without deforming, making it suitable for large industrial furnaces that must maintain constant, stable temperatures without deforming over time. Easy installation and minimal maintenance make the SC Type an economical long-term option in high tech manufacturing environments.

Silicon carbide (SiC), unlike metal electric heating elements, does not oxidize when exposed to air at high temperatures, significantly increasing its lifespan and operational efficiency. Furthermore, SiC’s high surface-to-volume ratio makes it an effective material for high temperature applications.

In order to use SiC elements effectively in a furnace atmosphere, it is crucial that an appropriate control system be selected. A fixed current limit cannot work effectively as their resistance tends to increase with increasing temperature; as a result, discontinuities between voltage control and current control occur and cause overshoot at setpoint levels.

A proportional current limit is an ideal choice for these elements as its operation adapts quickly as their resistance increases with temperature increase, providing quick responses to any change in operating environments and maintaining safe power levels for each element.

Long Lifespan

Silicon carbide heating elements have an exceptional lifespan when used in industrial furnaces due to their ability to withstand high temperatures while being made of dense material. Furthermore, this material’s resistance to chemical reactions that may arise during heat-treating makes it the perfect solution for applications that require consistent heat such as melting and annealing metals.

Silicon Carbide (SiC) is a synthetic chemical compound composed of both silicon and carbon. With an extremely hard Mohs scale rating of 9, SiC has become increasingly popular as an electrical component and manufacturing equipment material. A silicon carbide heater is typically constructed by fusing together high-purity SiC grains using either reaction bonding or recrystallization processes at over 2150oC; this process ensures fine grains form throughout its structure to form conductive pathways within it.

As a result, this element exhibits very low electrical resistance and high thermal conductivity, along with a very low coefficient of expansion – meaning it can work under considerable heat without deforming. Furthermore, its chemical resistance makes it ideal for heat treating materials which may react badly with other materials.

Silicon carbide heaters’ longevity is significantly increased through the application of a protective glaze during their manufacturing process, which prevents SiC from becoming oxidized and reduces electric resistance over time. Furthermore, their elements are welded during fabrication in order to connect their hot zone and cold ends reducing the rate at which they become oxidized.

At the same time, it is crucial to recognize that the longevity of a silicon carbide element depends on its environment. When exposed to environments with higher concentrations of volatile compounds such as acidic vapors and metallic oxides that attack it over time, its durability will suffer significantly. Therefore a proper ventilation system must be implemented in order to reduce volatile concentration and promote airflow over the cold ends, minimising condensation risk while decreasing corrosion risk.

Low Corrosion

Silicon carbide does not corrode like metal elements at elevated temperatures due to silica’s protective barrier function and oxygen diffusion in the environment. This effect prevents direct reactions between substrate and attack species that would normally react directly with it and direct reaction between silica in its substrate and an attacking species from directly reacting directly. Replacement of this silica barrier by oxygen in air happens through diffusion.

Silicon carbide’s oxide layer provides excellent oxidation protection; additionally, the material is chemically inert – making it ideal for applications where its elements may come into contact with corrosive gases and vapors, including alkali vapors, most halogen gases/metal halides (including those generated in aluminum furnaces), most acid vapors from aluminum furnaces/coal slag and complex environments associated with combustion processes.

Silicon carbide’s insulating properties make it an excellent choice for applications involving high power density. This feature helps minimize hot spot formation in heaters while simultaneously helping lower operating temperature; combined with its low toxicity level, this material makes an ideal long-term heating solution.

All MHI silicon carbide heaters are treated with our NoAgeTM process to reduce ageing. This process removes surface contamination while also reconditioning the element in order to make sure it remains stable during operation – even under extreme conditions.

MHI offers a selection of silicon carbide electric heating elements suitable for high temperature applications. These elements come in both standard sizes and geometries as well as custom designs tailored specifically to each application. Characterized by high use temperatures, superior anti-oxidization protection, long service lives, low creep rates and minimal deformation, they offer optimal performance for their applications. Industries that utilize high-temperature electric furnaces and heating devices include metallurgy, machinery, glass manufacturing, ceramics manufacturing and powder metallurgy. Automated production environments that involve frequent temperature variations benefit greatly from using RTD sensors, providing consistent performance while being resistant to environmental stresses and strains for maximum reliability and productivity in your process.

Easy Installation

Silicon carbide heating elements can easily be installed into various furnace and kiln designs, and boast one of the highest Hot:Cold ratios available, making them more energy-efficient than many other forms. They have excellent chemical stability without needing special handling; moreover, their durability means that they can withstand high temperatures without losing shape or deforming over time.

These non-metallic high temperature electric heating elements are constructed from selected super quality green silicon carbide as the main raw material, crushed into blanks, silicated and re-crystallized at high temperature to re-crystallize them into crystals. Their advantages include small expansion coefficient that doesn’t easily deform, excellent chemical stability, long life span and easy installation and maintenance processes.

Silicon carbide’s unique structure renders it resistant to both oxidation and corrosion, providing businesses with reduced maintenance costs and downtime – ideal for businesses aiming to maximize productivity. Furthermore, its uniform heating properties help ensure consistent and accurate production processes.

One of the primary advantages of silicon carbide heaters is their speed in reaching high temperatures quickly, which allows manufacturers to increase productivity faster than with traditional heaters and increase productivity. Furthermore, these elements boast low thermal mass so as to not overheat easily – further improving efficiency.

Silicon carbide heaters boast the added advantage of being resistant to chemical corrosion, making them especially suitable for processing glass, metals and other sensitive materials. Their resistance helps manufacturers protect both products and equipment within their facility from damage due to environmental conditions.

Importantly, silicon carbide heater resistance changes non-linearly with temperature. MHI’s No-Age conditioning stabilizes resistance over time for long-term performance in industrial furnaces and kilns.

Keith offers an extensive selection of silicon carbide and molybdenum disilicide (Moly D) heating elements. We can supply replacement heating elements for virtually every high-temperature electric furnace or kiln on the market; contact us now for a quote on your specific heating element needs!