Nikrothal® 80

Important considerations when designing heating elements:

1. Maximum operating temperature

It is critical to choose a material that can withstand the required operating temperature and know that the wire will operate at a higher temperature than the environment that it is heating.

2. Will the element be suspended, fully supported or embedded

Suspended elements are free hanging between two fixed points. Nikrothal (NiCr) alloys are most suitable as they have better hot strength and are able to support their own weight.

Fully Supported elements are held up along the entire length of the heating element and do not require as much hot strength. Kanthal (FeCrAl) alloys work well in these applications and have the added benefit of higher maximum operating temperatures.

Embedded elements are completely encapsulated in some type of bedding compound. Both Nikrothal and Kanthal alloys are suitable for these applications.

3. Operating atmosphere

Most of the data provided by Kanthal regarding our alloy performance assumes that the elements will be operating in still air. Different atmospheres and air movement can dramatically affect the performance of the element material.

4. Watt loading on the surface of the wire

Watt loading of the element is the key for understanding what wire diameter is required for a specific element design. Kanthal Handbook for Resistance Heating Alloys for Electric Appliances provide reference watt loadings for various element types which can be used as a guide. You will find the handbook in the next right Documents tab.

5. Available power supply and required wattage

In order to understand the resistance necessary for a specific application you need to know the wattage output you require and the available voltage Ohm’s law can then be used to calculate the resistance. Resistance = volts²/watts. More details on Ohm’s law can be found in the Kanthal Appliance Handbook.