Kapton heaters are ultra-thin, ultra-flexible, semitransparent, lightweight heaters. They derive their name from Kapton, the polyimide film developed by Du Pont that is utilized to encapsulate the heating circuit of these heaters. Kapton heaters can operate within temperatures as low as -320°F and as high as 400°F, and have superior dielectric properties. Kapton heaters exhibit excellent tensile strength, durability, and dimensional stability. These heaters produce uniform heat with rapid heat-up and cool-down characteristics. Kapton heaters can endure radiation, resist many chemicals, and because they are very low in outgassing, they are ideal for vacuum applications. The heating elements of these heaters are produced by chemically etching a resistive circuit in nickel alloy foils. This circuit is encapsulated between two layers of Kapton films utilizing either a Teflon® FEP adhesive or acrylic adhesive. These two adhesives define the thermal characteristics and the cost of these heaters.
Kapton heaters can accommodate holes and cut-outs; they can be built with different electrical terminations, heat sensors and can be bonded to application surfaces with different bonding methods.
Kapton Heaters Applications:
- Freeze protection and condensation prevention for many types of instrumentation and equipment
- Medical equipment including blood analyzers and test tube heaters
- Exhaust gas pre-heating for DPF regeneration
- Curing of plastic laminates
- Photo processing equipment
- Semiconductor processing equipment
- Computer peripherals such as laser printers