Ceramic Heating Elements
Ceramic heating elements are used in low- and high-temperature ovens and furnaces. A ceramic heater has heating elements that come into direct or near-direct contact with the area or substance needing heat. An example of such a heater would be a heater used to keep prepared hot food products warm for consumption. The heating element directly warms the substance rather than indirectly via fans or ductwork. An immersion heater is essentially a heating element that can be immersed in a liquid or a similar substance, which it heats directly.
Ceramic heating elements can be found in rectangular, square, flat, cylindrical, or partial cylinder shapes. Unlike that of most metals, ceramic heating elements have a negative coefficient. One of the four principal types of heating elements, PTC ceramic has a positive thermal coefficient of resistance and a highly nonlinear thermal response. This type of heating element can be found in automobiles and space heaters.
Some of the many industrial and manufacturing applications where ceramic heating elements are found include heaters, ovens, dryers, and furnaces. Ceramic heating elements can be used in products that melt, cook, dry, warm, seal, and reform substances. Many commercial and consumer products also contain ceramic heating elements, such as hair dryers, space heaters, toasters, and irons.