Nichrom wire, thanks to the technical properties and characteristics, can be applied in the most various areas of electrics and instrument making. In Soviet period the house handymen could repair, practically, any failed heating device with its help.
Many will remember electric tiles with open spirals – often used them in Soviet period, and both for cooking, and for heating of rooms. Durable and effective, they were in each family, and repaired them the hands, with the help nichrom wire which was on sale in usual "economic" shops.
What is nichrom wire
Nichrom is the alloy including only two components. It is created from nichrom and nickel, and additives make only 1% of lump. As impurity for improvement of technical characteristics and properties of a wire pure iron, copper, manganese, silicon, the titan, carbon can be used.
Unique properties of the alloy received by compound of chrome and nickel were opened by the physicist-inventor from the USA Albert Marsh in 1905. More precisely – discovery was made by it much earlier, but the scientist took out the patent for it only in 1905.
During laboratory researches Marsh found out that nichrom has a number of unique characteristics and advantages before analogs. Material was capable to maintain the most high temperatures of heating a long time, had the sufficient level of resistance, was not oxidized and kept the form set to it initially. It meant that it can be used as elements for heating devices of any scale and power.
Soon after execution of the patent Albert Mash got permission to industrial production nichrom wire, resistors, knots of resistance for heating hair partings therefore absolutely new era in the history of electrics in general began. Devices became more durable, safe, and it, practically, did not affect their cost as production of alloy did not demand serious financial expenses from the producer.
Properties and technical characteristics nichrom wire
Today nichrom is already whole group of alloys classified by a scope in compliance with technical characteristics and properties. Main characteristics which are indisputable advantages of a wire from nichrom before analogs:
- indicators of specific electrical resistance,
- high temperature of melting,
- the increased material density,
- durability kept during the heating and stay in the acid environment
- excellent plasticity and hardness.
Nichrom wire – the most demanded product in the segment of the market. Thanks to the fact that a key element of alloy for its production is chrome the wire is capable to work most long even in devices with the maximum heat. Alloy from only two components has the minimum magnetic indicators that increases its resistance to acid aggressors.
Nichrom wire rigid, plastic, but transfers power influence badly. Therefore it is recommended to work with it, especially in house conditions, extremely carefully. It is important to consider these its properties in attempt to change an element form after numerous heating. It is not recommended to change spiral section from nichrom wire at all. As a result not only its heating ability, but also the main characteristics of alloy can suffer.
Scope nichrom wire
The wire from nichrom is actively used in the industry, at production of household appliances for operation in house conditions. It is unlikely modern hostesses think that in their hair dryer, the iron or a teapot Teng from nichrom wire is established and for this reason they work long even at active operation.
In the industry the wire or other elements from this alloy are applied to production
- termopal of furnaces in metallurgical shops,
- elements of the metal-melting equipment of low power,
- heating nodes in volume ventilating dryers,
- details for coppers of heating and heat exchangers,
- resistors and rheostats in the equipment for electroproduction capacities,
- some types of welding electrodes,
- electric wires with any number of "veins".
Nichrom wire is produced a certain grade of alloy with certain technical characteristics for each of areas of application. For example, the heating power which any given element, knot, a detail is capable to sustain depends on quantitative contents as a part of alloy of nickel.
Modern alloy under the name nichrom can contain various additives improving it properties and technical parameters that affects the cost of products. But even the high price of any given device in which the element from nichrom functions is justified by the term of its service and efficiency.
Technology of work about nichrom wire
The wire from nichrom is highly appreciated by fans to make or repair electric devices the hands, in house conditions. That to whom such direction of a hobby is interesting once the technology studies works with a wire from this alloy in detail. Nichrom wire can be soldered, welded, connected without application of aggressive influence.
Solders with marking 50, 61 or 40 will be suitable for soldering of elements of a wire from nichrom. Gumboil can be prepared from vaseline, powder of chloride zinc and glycerin in the following proportions – 100*7*5 gr. It is better to mix ingredients in ware from ceramics. Before soldering the ends nichrom wire are carefully processed by abrasive "skin", again smoothed out by the cotton pad impregnated with solution from alcohol and chloride copper.
Optimal variant of connection of the ends thin nichrom wire – welding. As a result of influence of more high temperature the connection turns out is more better also durable. The technology is simplest, it is even simpler, than soldering:
- tips of a wire are smoothed out and densely twisted among themselves,
- through a junction the current before heating of knot until red is passed,
- on knot the piece of nitrate silver (lyapis) is imposed by means of tweezers.
It is possible to connect the ends of a wire from nichrom an alternative, easiest way – by means of the coupling from aluminum or steel sheet. For this purpose the ends of a wire are smoothed out and imposed at each other, slightly twisted, without pressing, but is rather dense. On the turned-out knot the coupling is located and densely contracts usual passatizha. Such way of connection of the ends nichrom wire less durable, than soldering or welding, but not less effective, can also quite be applied to the emergency repair of simple devices in house conditions.
Pluses and minuses nichrom wire
Nichrom is rather expensive alloy if to compare it to modern analogs, and it is its only shortcoming. It is much more at alloy of advantages which outweigh this its only shortcoming:
- thermal stability,
- resistance to corrosion,
- mechanical durability and hardness,
- high elasticity even without heating,
- sufficient level of specific resistance,
- low weight,
- resilience at contact with aggressive acids.
In spite of the fact that nichrom wire costs much, demand for it in the market only grows. New technologies allow to enrich alloy with the additional components improving its technical characteristics many times that has a positive impact also on quality of devices in which there are elements from nichrom.