Ceramic heater
A ceramic heater as a consumer product is a space heater that generates heat using a heating element of ceramic with a positive temperature coefficient (PTC).[1][2] Ceramic heaters are usually portable and typically used for heating a room or small office, and are of similar utility to metal-element fan heaters.
Heating principle[]
PTC ceramic material is semi-conductive and when voltage is applied to it, the power decreases quickly as it reaches a certain temperature according to the particular composition of the ceramic. The ceramic elements are in contact with aluminium fins, thereby heating the fins up. A fan blowing across the fins heats the air.[1]
Differences from other electric heaters[]
Electric heating elements made of resistance wire also have a positive temperature coefficient of resistivity, but do not increase their resistance enough to be self-regulating; they are typically used with the wires red-hot. The ceramic, on the other hand, increases its resistance sharply at the Curie temperatures of the crystalline components, typically 120 degrees Celsius, and remains below 200 degrees Celsius, providing a significant safety advantage. Ceramic heaters also have thermostats which switch power to the PTC array on and off in response to the temperature of the room, like other types of heater.[3]
References[]
- ^ a b Wang, Xia; Zhang, Luyan; Chen, Gang (1 November 2011). "Hot embossing and thermal bonding of poly(methyl methacrylate) microfluidic chips using positive temperature coefficient ceramic heater". Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 401 (8): 2657–2665. doi:10.1007/s00216-011-5377-5. ISSN 1618-2650. PMID 21922306. S2CID 8371001.
- ^ Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan. Fuji Marketing Research Company. 1992.
- ^ US patent 4703153
- Heaters