An infrared heater, also called an IR heater, supplies an alternative form of heat for your business needs. An infrared heater uses infrared technology to heat objects. Many industries use infrared technology to provide steady and constant heat. If you want to install infrared heaters at your workplace, there are several terms that you will need to understand. This guide covers some of the common terms, such as radiant power, heat absorption factor, emissivity and infrared curing.
Infrared radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation. Infrared light has a longer wavelength than visible light. Radiant power is the energy carried across a surface by electromagnetic radiation per unit time. In simple words, it is the total radiant energy emitted by a source of electromagnetic radiation per unit time.
All objects radiate electromagnetic energy. At normal temperature, the majority of this energy is radiated in the infrared segment of the spectrum and wavelengths longer than that can be seen with the naked eye. The higher the temperature of the object, the more energy it radiates and the shorter its wavelength is. This is the electric fireplace heater heat absorption factor.
The emissivity of a material is the ratio of energy radiated by that material to energy radiated by a black body (a term used in physics to describe an ideal object that absorbs all electromagnetic radiation that contacts it) at the same temperature. It is a measure of a material’s ability to emit absorbed energy.
Far-infrared waves heat objects by direct light conversion, a process that directly warms the object without warming the surrounding air.
Infrared curing applies radioactive energy to the receiver by direct transmission from the convector heater emitter. Some of the energy emitted will be reflected off of the surface and some is absorbed into the coating. This direct transfer of energy creates an immediate reaction in the coating. Cross linking, at the molecular level, begins quickly once the surface is exposed to the emitter.