Efficiency Improvement Using Carbon Fiber Heater Elements for Drying Plastic Products

With the development of the chemical industry, plastics have become essential raw materials for synthetic fibers, electrical insulation materials, acid-resistant containers, and various everyday products. The production processes of these materials also involve heating and drying stages. Recently, the application of carbon fiber heater elements as infrared radiation heat sources in the plastics industry has become a new research topic.

Scientific analysis indicates that both thermoplastic resins (such as polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, etc.) and thermosetting resins (such as phenolic resins, polyamides, etc.) exhibit significant absorption bands in the infrared region. Designing carbon fiber heater elements to emit radiation wavelengths matching these infrared absorption bands can significantly improve electric heating efficiency.

Far-infrared radiation heating technology can be utilized in the plastic production process for both granular plastic dehydration and heating plastic products for thermoforming or injection molding.

During usage, besides ensuring the matching of infrared wavelengths with the plastic’s absorption range, attention must be paid to:

1. Ensuring smooth and flat conveyance paths for granular plastic during dehydration drying to facilitate even distribution and uniform movement.
2. Managing the distance between carbon fiber heater elements and plastic particles to prevent local overheating due to uneven heating temperatures or conveyor speeds. This helps avoid local melting and sticking of plastic particles.
3. In PET blow molding machines, carbon fiber heater elements are not widely used initially due to operators’ reliance on tungsten wire infrared heaters, which they judge temperature by observing the color of the preforms. Carbon fiber heaters emit less intense light, disrupting this conventional practice. However, with the advent of automated equipment, their application in blow molding machines is increasing.

Recent innovations in the injection molding industry include retrofitting infrared radiators onto standard electric heating injection molding machines. These radiators, made from a ceramic composite primarily using silicon carbide, are shaped to match the extrusion diameter of the injection molding machine barrels. Below, we share a comparison of equipment parameters and performance using carbon fiber heater elements versus traditional electric heating for plastic products, demonstrating substantial savings in power consumption (up to 50%) and efficiency gains (20%-30%).

Thus, employing carbon fiber heater elements as a heating source in the plastics industry is a promising choice, offering significant improvements in efficiency and operational effectiveness.

Discover how GlobalQT pioneers efficient infrared heating solutions for the plastics industry. Visit our website for more details or contact us at contact@globalquartztube.com.