Polysilazane Coated Reflector for Infrared Heating Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating apparatuses for thermoplastic parisons suffer from reduced efficiency over time due to oxidation of reflective metals like silver, gold, and aluminium, which affects the reflection of infrared radiation, leading to increased emissivity and absorbed power.
Innovation Solution
A heating apparatus with a reflector having a metallic substrate coated with an external layer of polysilazane or polysiloxane, positioned to efficiently reflect infrared radiation, preventing oxidation and maintaining reflective properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metallic reflectors (silver, gold, aluminium) are used to reflect infrared radiation, then reflection efficiency is improved, but oxidation occurs over time reducing reflective capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a metallic substrate (silver, gold, or aluminium) with a protective coating layer. The metallic substrate provides high reflective properties in the infrared region, while the protective coating prevents oxidation. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by maintaining the reflective efficiency of the metal while protecting it from environmental degradation over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective coating acts as an intermediary between the metallic substrate and the oxidizing environment. This intermediate layer prevents direct contact between the metal and oxygen/moisture in the air, thereby preventing oxidation while allowing the metallic substrate to maintain its reflective function. The intermediary coating thus preserves the service life without compromising reflection efficiency.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If anodised aluminium is used to prevent oxidation, then service life is improved, but emissivity increases leading to higher absorbed power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure where a metallic substrate (preferably silver, gold, or aluminium) is combined with a protective coating. This allows the system to achieve both long service life through oxidation protection and low emissivity by selecting metals with inherently low emissivity properties in the infrared region, thereby avoiding the energy loss problem associated with anodised aluminium.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by selecting metals with specifically low emissivity values (between 0.01 and 0.1) for the metallic substrate. This parameter selection ensures that even with the protective coating, the reflected radiation remains minimal, thus reducing absorbed power while maintaining service life through oxidation protection.
3Reliability
If reflector position and geometry are optimized to increase reflection efficiency, then heating performance is improved, but spatial constraints and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective coating serves as an intermediary that enables the use of metallic substrates without requiring complex spatial arrangements. By preventing oxidation through the coating, the system can maintain simple, straightforward reflector geometries and positions while still achieving high heating performance through the inherent reflective properties of the metallic substrate.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution maintains high reflection efficiency over time by protecting the metallic substrate from oxidation, ensuring consistent heating performance for thermoplastic parisons.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of infrared or near infrared emitters located inside the tunnel in such a way as to radiate the parisons moving forward
Implementation Method 2
at least one reflector having a metallic substrate, the reflector being positioned in such a way as to receive at least partially the radiations emitted by the infrared emitters to reflect them
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A heating apparatus (1) for heating parisons (100) of thermoplastic material, comprising: a tunnel (2) in which the parisons (100) move forward along a predefined direction; a plurality of infrared or near infrared emitters (4) located inside said tunnel (2) in such a way as to radiate the parisons (100) moving forward; at least one reflector (5) having a metallic substrate (6), said reflector (5) being positioned in such a way as to receive at least partially the radiation emitted by the infrared emitters (4) to reflect them, characterised in that the metallic substrate (6) of the reflector (5) is coated by an external layer (7) made of polysilazane or polysiloxane.