Silicon carbide rod is widely utilized as a heating element in tunnel kilns, roller kilns, glass furnaces, vacuum furnaces and muffle furnaces – among other high-temperature equipment – due to its exceptional high temperature resistance, oxidation resistance, quick heating up time, long lifespan with minimal deformation under high temperature exposure, easy installation and maintenance requirements.
Temperature can alter the resistance value of elements. Therefore, it’s wise to save any unbroken ones with similar resistance values when replacing them.
High-Temperature Resistance
Silicon carbide rods are widely employed as high-temperature electric heating elements in various metallurgical furnaces such as blast furnace bellies, open iron taps and electric porcelain furnaces. Furthermore, industrial kilns use silicon carbide rods as high temperature electric heating elements to heat glassware, ceramics, refractory materials and metals – providing advantages like strength at high temperatures, wear resistance and chemical stability.
Silicon carbide’s low coefficient of expansion and hard surface make it highly resistant to deformation, while their ease of installation, maintenance, and accurate control have made them very popular among glass melting, semiconductor manufacturing, and chemical processing equipment manufacturers.
Alpha Rod / Ultra-Spiral DE and SE elements come with comprehensive terminal accessories to make electrical connections to their respective power sources, including lengths of aluminum braid for connecting electrically. Braided aluminum braid provides superior flexibility and resistance to oxidation at high temperatures; element tubes contain one central heating section known as the hot zone and two terminal sections known as cold ends that have been treated with silicon metal to lower resistance while operating at lower temperatures than their respective hot zone sections.
High Density
Silicon carbide is a dense material with excellent wear resistance and impact strength, making it suitable for high temperature kilns where its dense nature minimizes abrasion or impact damage to furnace walls, while also minimising heat loss to ensure even heating across its entirety without deformation.
Due to their low coefficient of thermal expansion, rods can easily be installed into multiple furnace formats for greater design flexibility, longer lifespan and simpler maintenance.
When replacing damaged or worn rods, it is advisable to do it as part of a group. Mixing new and old rods may create an imbalance in the temperature field that leads to reduced performance and lifespan. When selecting replacement rods with lower resistance values for optimal temperature field performance. Aluminum-sprayed ends of new rods should also be free from cracks or adhesive residue for best performance; and select a voltage regulator transformer with an extended range for added longevity of element life span.
Low Porosity
Ceramic materials boast both high density and low porosity, which enables them to quickly absorb and retain liquids, making them suitable for seal applications. A low porosity also maintains hydrodynamic fluid films between mating faces of seals which helps increase performance while simultaneously decreasing power consumption.
Mechanical seals must often have an inherent self-lubricating property. While graphite, boron nitride, and silicones all possess this property, silicon carbide does not. Porous silicon carbide has been used as a lubricant in mechanical seals but its high power consumption limits its application.
A new generation of high-performance porous sintered silicon carbide (porous SiC) ceramics relies on using a high-purity green hexagonal raw batch that has been carbonized to form an oval-shaped sinter, followed by carbonization treatment to provide a uniform pore distribution and low electrical resistance. Both composition and temperature of sintering process can be adjusted in order to optimize properties of final porous SiC ceramics produced, with sintered density reaching up to 2.8 g/cm3, equivalent to 12 vol% of pore volume.
High Resistance to Corrosion
Silicon carbide is an extremely resilient material due to its superior thermal stability, strength, wear resistance and corrosion-resistance; making it suitable for use in refractory applications that must withstand extreme temperatures and harsh chemicals.
Silicon carbide rods are often utilized as positioning pins in electric furnaces due to their strength and resilience, providing accurate alignment. Their thermal resilience ensures that they stay stable under intense heat conditions ensuring accurate alignment. Furthermore, these long-term reliable rods can withstand heavy loads without deforming, making them suitable for applications requiring long-term usage.
Silicon carbide heating elements are typically constructed as three-piece heaters, consisting of one central hot zone and two low resistance cold ends which are furnace welded onto this central zone, metalized with aluminum to provide low resistance surfaces and braided aluminum terminals to facilitate electrical connections with braided aluminum terminals. Their highly efficient yet cost-effective operation and long life make these elements an attractive alternative to traditional metal elements.
Excellent Chemical Stability
Silicon carbide rods boast superior chemical stability, making them the ideal material choice for industrial abrasion applications. Their hardness and durability help minimize abrasion to extend their lifespan as well as that of any equipment they’re installed into. Furthermore, their resistance to corrosion makes them suitable for high temperature processes like metal processing where oxidation occurs quickly.
Silicon carbide heating elements rely heavily on their environment and the specific element loading, measured in watts per square centimeter over their hot zone length, to determine their lifespan. Ceramic or silicon carbide heaters operate at higher temperatures than other metal elements and this factor should not be underestimated in their lifespan calculations.
To maximize the longevity of silicone carbide elements, it is vital that they are stored in an airtight environment. This will prevent moisture from damaging their aluminum-sprayed surface, which could otherwise result in irreparable damage, an imbalanced resistance value, and reduced temperature fields.
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