High temperature and resistance Kanthal A1 Alloy material products are used for the manufacture of Kanthal A1 heating elements, thermocouples and a range of highly demanding high temperature applications. Kanthal Wire and ribbon for resistance heating, electrical resistance and conductive applications. The strip is for use in electrical resistance and high-temperature applications.

Kanthal A1 heating wire or strip are designed for the most demanding electric heating applications, Kanthal A1 is highest maximum temperature for metallic alloy, and best protective alumina surface oxide layer for longer life.

Max Temperature, 1400° C 

Element Life, Excellent 

Temperature Coefficient Stability, Very Good 

Oxidation Properties, Excellent 

Suitability for Suspended Elements, Not suitable 

Ductility after using, Low 

Weld ability after Use, Difficult

Kanthal A-1 is a ferritic iron-chromium-aluminium alloy (FeCrAl alloy) for use at temperatures up to 1400°C. The alloy is characterized by high resistivity and very good oxidation resistance. Typical applications for Kanthal A-1 are electrical heating elements in high-temperature furnaces for heat treatment, ceramics, glass, steel, and electronic industries.

Specification of kanthal A1 alloy for chemical composition, mechanical and physcial properties, temperature, strength, thermal expansion and conductivity, heat capacity, melting point.

RESISTIVITY VS TEMPERATURE CHART FOR KANTHAL A1 AND OTHER KANTHAL ALLOYS

Important considerations when designing KANTHAL A1 heating elements:

1. Maximum operating temperature

It is critical to choose a material that can withstand the required operating temperature and know that the wire will operate at a higher temperature than the environment that it is heating.

2. Will the element be suspended, fully supported or embedded

Suspended elements are free hanging between two fixed points. Nikrothal (NiCr) alloys are most suitable as they have better hot strength and are able to support their own weight.

Fully Supported elements are held up along the entire length of the heating element and do not require as much hot strength. Kanthal (FeCrAl) alloys work well in these applications and have the added benefit of higher maximum operating temperatures.

Embedded elements are completely encapsulated in some type of bedding compound. Both Nikrothal and Kanthal alloys are suitable for these applications.

3. Operating atmosphere

Most of the data provided by Kanthal regarding our alloy performance assumes that the elements will be operating in still air. Different atmospheres and air movement can dramatically affect the performance of the element material.

4. Watt loading on the surface of the wire

Watt loading of the element is the key for understanding what wire diameter is required for a specific element design. Kanthal Handbook for Resistance Heating Alloys for Electric Appliances provide reference watt loadings for various element types which can be used as a guide. You will find the handbook in the next right Documents tab.

5. Available power supply and required wattage

In order to understand the resistance necessary for a specific application you need to know the wattage output you require and the available voltage Ohm’s law can then be used to calculate the resistance. Resistance = volts2/watts.

Our metallic heating elements made from wire or strip in Kanthal iron-chromium-aluminium alloys or Nikrothal nickel-chromium alloys for element temperatures between 50-1425°C

We can manufacture metallic heating elements to any specifications and with short delivery times. Examples of element types are:

Coiled heating elements - spiral elements and edge-wounded elements.

ROB - Meander elements

Cartridge elements, bundle rod elements and cage elements.

Tubothal heating element