Heating a block of Rubber by passing electricity

[sakthi]

Hi everyone.

I want to heat a piece of Rubber by embedding copper strips or wires in it and passing electricity(120V - 2.5Amp) through it. The room temperature is 0(zero) deg Celsius and i want to heat the aluminum block(5" x 5" x 1") to 10 deg Celsius(Not more than 10 deg).

Question: How will I determine the size of the copper strips or wires that I have to use to generate enough heat to raise the temperature of the block to 10 dec C.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUGGESTION.

 

[berkeman]

Hi everyone.

I want to heat a piece of Rubber by embedding copper strips or wires in it and passing electricity(120V - 2.5Amp) through it. The room temperature is 0(zero) deg Celsius and i want to heat the aluminum block(5" x 5" x 1") to 10 deg Celsius(Not more than 10 deg).

Question: How will I determine the size of the copper strips or wires that I have to use to generate enough heat to raise the temperature of the block to 10 dec C.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUGGESTION.

Welcome to the PF.

You should probably use nichrome wire instead of copper. There is a calculator in post #2 of this thread that should help you:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=463274

.

 

[Studiot]

I wouldn't recommend this method for heating a block of rubber.

Rubber itself is a thermal insulator so embedding resistive wires into the block is likely to lead to hotspots around the wires, without raising the block temperature evenly.

Conductive rubber can be made by incorporating carbon granules in the rubber matrix. Using this method will ensure even resistive heating.

 

[sakthi]

Thank you berkeman.

I will try the calculator.

 

[sakthi]

Studiot - Thank you for your suggestion.

So, I cannot use rubber at all.

Can I use some kind of thermoplastic. What is your take on that.

 

[Studiot]

Plastics materials, natural or artificial = thermal insulator so the same comment applies.

A lamination of sheets of plastics with sheets of very very fine metal mesh might heat evenly enough.

You need to distribute the heat as widely as possible.

The problem to overcome is that the rate of heat transference away from the heating element must not be less than the rate of heat production in the element.

 

[sakthi]

berkeman - The calculator holds good only for higher temperature(80 dec C onwards). I am looking something really small (10 deg C). Is there an equation to find out the size of the copper strips that will induce the heat.

Thank you