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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 March 2019
Commercial resistance heating and thermocouple materials specified for use in air at temperatures up to 1200°C were examined as possible alternatives to Pt-Rh for use as heater strips in high temperature x-ray diffractometer furnaces. Tests in air at 1150°C, showed that Chromel oxidized excessively, Nichrome oxidized moderately, while Kanthal was very slightly oxidized. Nichrome and Kanthal strips were sufficiently ductile to fabricate into strip heaters. The thickness of the Kanthal strip had to be reduced to 0.020 mm to match its resistance to the power and temperature control software of the high temperature diffractometer. Heater strips made from Nichrome proved effective, in terms of resistance to grain growth and surface degradation by adhesive liquid phases, at temperatures up to 1000°C, while Kanthal was effective up to 1150°C. The relatively low costs of these materials also make them viable as disposable heaters for use with chemically reactive or strongly adherent materials.