Differences Between Carbon Fiber Heater Elements and Quartz Heater Elements

Recently, we’ve received inquiries from customers asking, “How do you distinguish between carbon fiber heater elements and quartz heater elements?” Today, let’s delve into the differences between these two types of heater elements.

Carbon fiber heater elements are a type of quartz heater element because they also use quartz tubes as insulation. However, when our customers refer to “quartz heater elements,” they specifically mean a type where alloy resistance wires are threaded inside milky white quartz tubes. This type is a traditional form of heating element.

Broadly speaking, quartz heater elements can be categorized based on the atmosphere around the heating wire:

• Quartz Vacuum Heater Tubes: These maintain a vacuum around the heating wire.
• Halogen Quartz Heater Tubes: These use a halogen atmosphere around the heating wire.
• Non-vacuum Quartz Heater Tubes: These are made with milky white quartz tubes encasing resistance wires without a specific protective atmosphere.

Carbon fiber heating tubes on the market fall under quartz vacuum heater tubes. In contrast, tungsten wire infrared heating tubes belong to halogen heater tubes, and those made with milky white quartz tubes encasing resistance wires are non-vacuum heater tubes.

1. Resistance Wire Quartz Heater Tubes: These are derived from metal electric heating tubes and mainly aim to simplify the production process and reduce costs associated with adding magnesium oxide powder inside metal tubes. They leverage the insulating properties of quartz tubes by directly winding the resistance wire inside them. This type of heater tube is widely used in traditional household appliances and industrial equipment. However, it is gradually being replaced by carbon fiber heater tubes and tungsten wire infrared heating tubes.

2. Tungsten Wire Infrared Heating Tubes: These tubes utilize tungsten wire adjusted to the required resistance value and are placed in a protective environment formed by a closed quartz tube with halogen and inert gases. The advantages include high power output and ultra-fast startup, achieving 100% power in just 1 second. However, a significant drawback is that tungsten wires slowly sublime or oxidize within the protective atmosphere over time, leading to a shorter lifespan—an inherent limitation that cannot be overcome.

3. Carbon Fiber Heater Tubes: Structurally similar to tungsten wire infrared heating tubes, carbon fiber heater tubes differ in the type of internal heating wire and the environment within the quartz tube, which is a vacuum instead of an inert gas atmosphere. Carbon fiber’s physical and chemical stability in vacuum conditions ensures it does not oxidize at high temperatures, remains physically robust, and maintains stable conductivity. Therefore, theoretically, carbon fiber heater tubes have a much longer lifespan compared to tungsten wire infrared heating tubes as long as the vacuum environment remains intact. This durability is why an increasing number of customers are opting for carbon fiber heater tubes.

These three types of quartz heater tubes each have their own advantages, finding extensive application in various fields. Depending on your specific requirements, you can choose the most suitable heater tube for your needs.

Discover more about Global Quartz Tube’s heating solutions. For inquiries, visit our website or contact us at contact@globalquartztube.com.