Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTSSome ceramic materials are semiconducting, and therefore can be electrically heated. Very high energy densities can be reached as compared to metallic heat conductors. In addition, stability and stiffness of ceramics hardly change also at extremely high temperatures.
Specific SiC materials on the basis of S-SiC, LPS-SiC and Si-SiC were developed to be applied as ceramic heating elements. They are characterized by the property that their resistance is quite independent from the temperature. In particular, it is also possible to integrate porous materials like ceramic foams as active and passive components into the heating elements. In this way, very specific and process-optimized heating systems can be provided. We have experiences in the field of assembly and packaging technology for ceramic heating systems so that work spans the entire process line from the design of heating systems to their manufacture.
Products and services offered
- Development and realization of ceramic heating systems
- Materials development to adjust the resistivity
- Materials development and component manufacturing using dense silicon carbide and silicon carbide composites
- Materials development and component manufacturing using porous and foamed ceramic silicon carbide materials
- Specific assembly and packaging technology for ceramic heating elements and carbide materials with ceramic or metallic elements
- Characterization and test of heating materials and heating elements
Technical equipment
- Complete technology and equipment for materials development and component manufacturing
- Test stand for application-oriented tests of heating elements
- Temperature-dependent resistance measurements up to 900 °C
Examples and references
- Application-specific meander tube heater
- Thin heating elements on the basis of tape-casted Si-SiC
- Ceramic foam heating elements as evaporator unit
- Hollow cathode-plasma heater for extreme temperatures