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Nickel Surcharges 2010

Diagnosing Premature Failures

Resistance Heating Elements

Molybdenum-heating elements

Cold Furnace Start-ups

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NEI's Technical Info
  • "Do's & Don'ts" in Designing Heating Elements
  • General Operating and Maintenance Instructions for Heating Elements
  • Ohm's Law
  • Chromel®: The original resistance alloy that first made electrical heating practical.
  • Heating Element Design Fundamentals
  • Selecting a Suitable Resistance Alloy
  • Technical Fundamentals of Electrical Heating
  • Current Carrying Capacity Chromel® "A" Wire
  • Technical Fundamentals of Electrical Heating

    Efficiency - Electric power is converted to almost 100% efficiency compared with 25 to 80% when fuel is burned. This efficiency increases directly as process temperature increases. Electrical heating has many advantages over fuel-fired furnaces.


    Recycle your Nickel-Chrome Heating Elements for a warm Future

    National Element, Inc.
    Electric Heating Elements

    Environmental - Clean efficient Electric Heat. The future is electric. The nearly 100% efficiency of electric heating, means there is NO POLLUTION, as in gases with fumes, exhaust, and particulate and/or opaque matter. Reduced cost of pollution control devices, environmental disposal, containment and storage of toxic waste is virtually non-existent. Significant reduction in the training of personal, a clean safe working environment, all add up to a bright, clean, efficient future for the world. Electric heating is noiseless, clean and easier to insulate. Storage of fuels on site is costly, and dangerous. Transmission of electricity is less costly, and user friendly. Recycle your heating Nickel-Chrome Heating Elements for the Future.

    Quality - The by-products of combustion in fuel-fired equipment are deposited on the workload. Electric heating element does not produce these contaminants, and improves over looks, and appearance. Certifications of in process work are less prone to error and more efficient.

    Temperature - Uniform temperature is simpler to attain due to the flexibility in positioning and design of electric heating elements. Workloads can be directly radiated upon using work chambers of exacting size and shape. Use of time proportioning or SCR controls, temperature can be maintained ± 3°C (± 5°F). In comparable fuel-fired furnaces ± 5.5°C (± 10°F) is difficult to maintain because of high-low firing characteristics. Generally it is easier and less costly to control quantity of heat and rate of heat increase or decrease, or both. Temperature control in an electric furnace to ± 1/2°C or better is not uncommon.

    Maintenance - Insulation and refractories last longer in electric furnaces than fuel-fired furnaces. Fuel fired furnaces require blowers, valves, flues (openings), and flow meters, adding cost and maintenance. Maintenance of electric furnaces is limited to elements. National Element designs and manufactures industrial element which in many cases with reasonable care and a clean environment last many years. Regular inspection of element supports, hangers, ceramic insulators, and scheduled maintenance cleaning will extend life considerably.

    Electric Heating Types - Resistance heating, Electric arc, and Induction are the most common types of electric heating. The basic units of electricity are voltage, current, and resistance. National Element Inc., designs, manufactures, and distributes metallic heating elements. Metallic resistance heating is the most common of the three types of electric heating. NIKChrome® "A" (80 nickel-20 chrome) is the most common alloy for resistance heating. Invented and Patented in 1906 in Detroit, Michigan by Albert L. Marsh. Many alloys have been invented since then, and many technical improvements have been made. NIKChrome® "A" remains unchanged, and still the leading grade specified in electric furnace around the world. When you need competent electrical engineering for electric resistance heating, contact National Element Inc. for your NIKChrome® Alloys and heating element design.

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