Kanthal
Encyclopedia
Kanthal is the trademark
for a family of iron-chromium-aluminium (FeCrAl) alloys used in a wide range of resistance and high-temperature applications. Kanthal FeCrAl alloys consist of mainly iron
, chromium
(20–30 %) and aluminium
(4–7.5 %). The first Kanthal FeCrAl alloy was developed by Hans von Kantzow
in Hallstahammar
, Sweden
. Its name is derived from Kantzow and Hallstahammar. The alloys are known for their ability to withstand high temperatures and having intermediate electric resistance. As such, it is frequently used in heating element
s. The trademark Kanthal is owned by Sandvik
Intellectual Property.
Aluminium oxide is an electrical insulator but has a relatively high thermal conductivity
; special techniques may be required to make good electrical connections.
Ordinary Kanthal has a melting point of 1200 °C (2,192 °F). Special grades have a melting point as high as 1425 °C (2,597 °F).
Kanthal is the name not only of a family of alloys, it is also the brand name for Sandvik's heating technology products. Another trademark of Kanthal is MAXthal, which uses ternary carbides such as Ti2AlC that are known as MAX Phases
have good oxidation resistance at high temperatures.
Kanthal used to be a name of a company AB Kanthal that was founded 1931. In the late 1990s Sandvik became majority shareholder in Kanthal after its purchase linked to the Trustor affair
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
for a family of iron-chromium-aluminium (FeCrAl) alloys used in a wide range of resistance and high-temperature applications. Kanthal FeCrAl alloys consist of mainly iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, chromium
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
(20–30 %) and aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
(4–7.5 %). The first Kanthal FeCrAl alloy was developed by Hans von Kantzow
Hans von Kantzow
Hans von Kantzow was a mountain engineer and industry man, managing director and CEO at Bultfabriks AB in Hallstahammar 1918–1957. Von Kantzow is known to have invented the steel alloy Kanthal...
in Hallstahammar
Hallstahammar
Hallstahammar is a locality and the seat of Hallstahammar Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden with 10,300 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Its name is derived from Kantzow and Hallstahammar. The alloys are known for their ability to withstand high temperatures and having intermediate electric resistance. As such, it is frequently used in heating element
Heating element
A heating element converts electricity into heat through the process of Joule heating. Electric current through the element encounters resistance, resulting in heating of the element....
s. The trademark Kanthal is owned by Sandvik
Sandvik
Sandvik is a Swedish company founded in 1862 by Göran Fredrik Göransson in Sandviken. It is a high-technology engineering group and a world-leader in tooling, stainless steel alloys and materials technology, mining and construction...
Intellectual Property.
Characteristics
For heating, resistance wire must be stable in air when hot. Kanthal FeCrAl alloy forms a protective layer of aluminum oxide (alumina).Aluminium oxide is an electrical insulator but has a relatively high thermal conductivity
Thermal conductivity
In physics, thermal conductivity, k, is the property of a material's ability to conduct heat. It appears primarily in Fourier's Law for heat conduction....
; special techniques may be required to make good electrical connections.
Ordinary Kanthal has a melting point of 1200 °C (2,192 °F). Special grades have a melting point as high as 1425 °C (2,597 °F).
Kanthal is the name not only of a family of alloys, it is also the brand name for Sandvik's heating technology products. Another trademark of Kanthal is MAXthal, which uses ternary carbides such as Ti2AlC that are known as MAX Phases
MAX Phases
The MAX Phases are layered, hexagonal carbides and nitrides have the general formula: Mn+1AXn, where n = 1 to 3, M is an early transition metal, A is an A-group element and X is either carbon and/or nitrogen...
have good oxidation resistance at high temperatures.
Kanthal used to be a name of a company AB Kanthal that was founded 1931. In the late 1990s Sandvik became majority shareholder in Kanthal after its purchase linked to the Trustor affair
Trustor affair
The Trustor affair was a corporate raid and financial fraud in the summer of 1997. It targeted Trustor, a Swedish investment company listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. It was initially believed that 600 million SEK had disappeared from the company's accounts...