• Categories:IR Applications & News
• Author:E-DEN Lighting
• Origin:E-DEN IR Lighting
• Time of issue:2025-03-26
• Views:0

(Summary description)1. Drying and Infrared Heating Drying

Definition of Drying

Drying is the process of removing moisture and volatile components from materials through evaporation, sublimation, or other means. The primary purposes of drying are to prevent spoilage, improve storage stability, extend shelf life, and meet subsequent processing requirements. Traditional drying techniques (such as hot air and steam drying) rely on medium-based heat transfer, which often results in high energy consumption, low efficiency, and uneven heating.



 

Principle of Infrared Heating Drying

Infrared heating drying utilizes infrared radiation to directly transfer energy to an object, penetrating the surface and causing water molecules to absorb energy and vaporize rapidly, thereby achieving fast and uniform drying. The wavelength of infrared radiation (typically ranging from 0.78 to 1000 microns) determines the energy penetration depth, and different wavelengths have varying absorption effects on materials.

Traditional heating elements, such as milky quartz tubes, ceramic heaters, and stainless steel heating tubes, generate heat through resistance wires and transfer it via conduction, resulting in low thermal efficiency. Additionally, these elements tend to oxidize over time, leading to energy waste due to reduced heating efficiency.



 

In contrast, transparent quartz infrared heating tubes with reflective coatings utilize vacuum-sealed tungsten alloy filaments that withstand temperatures up to 2500°C. The heating element is enclosed within a high-purity transparent quartz tube that transmits 99% of infrared radiation energy. The high-reflectivity coating reflects 50% of the infrared energy, enabling directional radiation heating, which significantly enhances energy efficiency.

 

 

 


 

2. Applications of Infrared Heating Drying in Various Industries

Packaging Film：DryingInfrared heating precisely dries coatings, preventing film deformation caused by hot air. Drying speed is increased by three times.

Fruits and Vegetables Dehydration：Retains heat-sensitive components such as Vitamin C (loss rate <5%, compared to >15% with traditional hot air drying).

Surface Sterilization：Short-term high-temperature treatment effectively inactivates pathogens like Salmonella while preventing excessive heating of food.

Sterilization of Instrument Packaging：Non-contact heating prevents secondary contamination, achieving a sterilization efficiency of 99.9%.

Tablet Drying：Ensures uniform heating, preventing tablet cracking and maintaining moisture content within ±0.5%.

Moisture Prevention for Electronic Components： Effectively dries circuit board packaging films, reducing humidity below 100 ppm to prevent oxidation.

Automobile Coating：Infrared preheating of paint shortens curing time to one-third of traditional processes and reduces orange peel defects.

 



 


 

3. Example: Infrared Drying in Leather Processing

Infrared drying offers the following advantages in leather processing:

Rapid Drying

Infrared radiation partially penetrates the leather, creating a temperature gradient between the surface and the interior. This accelerates moisture diffusion from the inside out, significantly shortening drying time.

Uniform Heating

Both the surface and interior of the leather absorb infrared radiation, ensuring even drying.

This improves leather color consistency, enhances physical properties, and boosts final product quality.

High Energy Efficiency

Compared to traditional steam or hot air drying, infrared drying equipment is simpler in structure and consumes less energy. Energy savings can exceed 50%, while the compact design allows for easy operation.