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Quartz Micro-Heaters and Filaments

Quartz Micro-Heaters and Filaments

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Introduction

Quartz Micro-Heaters and Filaments are highly specialized heating elements fabricated by embedding a resistive heating wire (e.g., Kanthal, Tungsten, or Platinum) or thin film within a small, often miniaturized, fused quartz envelope or substrate. These components are valued for their extremely rapid thermal response, high operating temperatures, precise localized heating capability, and the chemical inertness of the surrounding quartz glass. Yancheng Mingyang Quartz Products Co., Ltd. designs and manufactures these micro-heaters for critical applications in analytical instrumentation, portable medical devices, and microfluidics where fast, clean, and controlled heat delivery is required. The quartz envelope ensures that the heating element is electrically isolated and protected from corrosive samples or process gases, while the low thermal mass of the small assembly allows for heating rates of hundreds of degrees Celsius per second.

A key application is in Gas Chromatography (GC) and Mass Spectrometry (MS) systems, where these micro-heaters are used to rapidly heat injection ports, detector cells, or ionization filaments, ensuring instantaneous vaporization of trace samples for analysis. For microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices, miniaturized quartz heaters can be integrated directly onto the fluidic channel to enable localized thermal control for PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) thermal cycling or on-chip chemical reactions. We use precision glassblowing and fusing techniques to encapsulate the heating element without introducing contamination. We offer custom designs with various heating element materials to optimize for specific voltage, resistance, and maximum operating temperature requirements (up to 1000∘C for some filaments). The small size and rapid response of these heaters allow for significant energy savings and reduced assay times compared to conventional external heating methods. We also supply custom-formed, multi-zone micro-heaters where different sections of the quartz assembly can be heated independently for complex thermal profiles.

By leveraging the fast response and chemical protection of quartz, we provide advanced micro-heating solutions that enable the next generation of portable and high-throughput analytical instrumentation.

Specification Parameters

ParameterDetails
Heater TypeWire-in-Quartz (Encapsulated Filament), Thin-Film Resistor on Quartz Substrate
Heating ElementKanthal (FeCrAl), Tungsten (W), Platinum (Pt) or NiCr Alloys
Size/GeometryMiniature Probes, Coils, Flat Micro-Substrates, Custom Filaments (down to 1 mm size)
Max Temp (Element)Up to 1000∘C (Dependent on element material and quartz enclosure design)
Ramp RateExtremely high: up to 500∘C/second (Low thermal mass)
Resistance (R) RangeCustomizable from <1 ohm to several hundred ohms
Power DensityHigh, focused heat delivery (e.g., 50 W/cm2)
Electrical IsolationFull isolation via high-dielectric-strength fused quartz envelope

The defining technical characteristic of Quartz Micro-Heaters is the combination of Extremely High Ramp Rate and precise Electrical Isolation. The low thermal mass of the miniature quartz assembly allows for near-instantaneous heating and cooling, providing unparalleled thermal control for complex analytical procedures like temperature programming in GC. The choice of Heating Element material is critical: Platinum (Pt) is used for its stability and resistance linearity (often doubling as a thermal sensor), while Tungsten and Kanthal are used for very high-temperature IR emission. The Electrical Isolation provided by the fused quartz is highly reliable, even at elevated temperatures, preventing short circuits and ensuring safety when the heater is in contact with conductive fluids or metal housings. We control the resistance (R) very tightly by precisely winding or sputtering the resistive element, ensuring stable power delivery (P=V2/R). For thin-film micro-heaters, we use photolithography to define the resistive pattern on a quartz substrate, achieving extremely high Power Density for highly localized heating zones, which is crucial for microfluidics. Our QC includes resistance verification at multiple temperatures and a high-voltage dielectric breakdown test to certify the integrity of the quartz encapsulation.

Applications

  • Gas Chromatography (GC) Detectors: Rapidly heating FID (Flame Ionization Detector) jets, TCD (Thermal Conductivity Detector) filaments, and MS transfer lines for efficient sample vaporization.

  • Microfluidic and Lab-on-a-Chip: Integrated heating elements for on-chip PCR thermal cycling, controlled sample mixing, and localized fluid vaporization.

  • Handheld Sensor Devices: Used for fast regeneration or calibration heating cycles of chemical and gas sensors to desorb surface contaminants.

  • Inkjet Printing Heads: Miniature heaters for precisely controlling the temperature and viscosity of specialty inks and fluids.

  • Medical Devices: Localized heating elements for flow control, catheter tip sterilization, or in-line fluid temperature regulation in clinical instruments.

  • Sample Preparation: Encapsulated filaments for rapid, non-contaminating thermal digestion or pyrolysis of small-volume analytical samples.

The advantage of quartz micro-heaters is the enabling of portability and high speed in previously bulky, slow processes. In GC, the rapid ramp rate cuts analysis time and increases throughput. For portable diagnostic devices, the small size and low power consumption are vital. Our custom glassblowing and sealing expertise allow us to integrate the heater directly into complex quartzware, such as specialized flow cells or injection ports, simplifying the client’s system design. We offer full control over lead materials, termination points, and physical shape, ensuring compatibility with client mounting and electrical standards. Furthermore, the chemical inertness of the exterior quartz surface ensures zero contamination of the heated sample or fluid, which is critical for high-purity analytical methods. We support custom development cycles for $\text{OEM}$s designing new generations of miniaturized instruments.

Advantages

  • Ultra-Fast Thermal Response: Low thermal mass allows for extremely high ramp rates (>500∘C/s), enabling rapid process cycles and energy efficiency.

  • Localized Precision Heating: Ability to focus high power density onto a small, isolated area, critical for microfluidics and analytical detection.

  • Non-Contaminating: Full quartz encapsulation protects the sample/fluid from contact with the metallic heating element, ensuring high purity.

  • High-Temperature Operation: Safe operation up to 1000∘C (element temp) allows for use in vaporization and high-temperature catalytic applications.

  • Design Flexibility: Customizable resistance, power, and physical shape (coils, probes, planar films) to meet exact instrument requirements.

  • Superior Electrical Isolation: High dielectric strength of fused quartz ensures safety and reliable separation of the element from the external system.

The key advantage is providing clean, precise, and fast heat in a miniature package. Our deep experience in fusing metal elements into quartz provides a highly reliable and customized heating solution for highly regulated analytical and medical industries.

Payment and Shipping

We accept standard payments (T/T). Due to the custom winding and fusing required, prototype fees and minimum order quantities ($\text{MOQ}$s) apply to initial designs.

Shipping Protocol for Micro-Heaters: Protection of leads, fragile quartz encapsulation, and thermal integrity.

  • Individual Cradling: Each micro-heater or filament is secured in a custom-cut foam insert or plastic tube to prevent contact and micro-fractures.

  • Lead Protection: Electrical leads are often pre-tinned or supplied with connectors and carefully secured to prevent strain or damage at the quartz seal point.

  • Documentation: Each lot is shipped with an electrical QC report confirming resistance, Hi-Pot test results, and dimensional conformance.

Lead times for micro-heaters are 4−6 weeks for custom designs, including winding and fusing. Volume orders of established designs are 2−3 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • Q: What is a Hi-Pot test, and why is it important for a quartz heater?

  • A: A Hi-Pot test (High Potential test) applies a high voltage across the element and the external quartz surface. It verifies that the quartz encapsulation provides sufficient dielectric strength and reliable electrical isolation of the heating element from the outside environment, which is crucial for user and system safety.

  • Q: Can these heaters be used in a vacuum or inert gas atmosphere?

  • A: Yes. Since the heating element is hermetically sealed within the quartz, it is completely isolated from the environment. They operate perfectly in vacuum, inert gas (like Ar or N2​), or in corrosive process gases, as the quartz exterior is chemically inert.

  • Q: How do you control the heating profile of these micro-heaters?

  • A: These heaters are typically controlled using a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller coupled with a thermocouple or a resistive temperature detector (RTD) sensor (which can sometimes be the heating element itself, if Pt). The low thermal mass allows for very tight and fast temperature regulation.

  • Q: What is the main benefit of using a quartz heater over a ceramic one?

  • A: Quartz offers superior chemical inertness, can be optically transparent (allowing IR transmission), and its low thermal mass allows for significantly faster heating and cooling rates compared to dense ceramic materials. It is also cleaner, with fewer leachable impurities.

From Made-in-China to
Global Smart Manufacturing

Yancheng Mingyang Quartz Products Co., Ltd. is a company specializing in the production of quartz and special glass products. Yancheng Mingyang Quartz Products Co., Ltd. is the production plant of Jinzhou Mingde Quartz Glass Co., Ltd. in Jiangsu, Since its establishment, the company has developed rapidly, introduced advanced technology and production equipment at home and abroad, and continuously improved and improved product quality. Relying on its own advantages, we have developed a variety of products suitable for the market and meet the needs of different customers, and solved many urgent production problems for our customers.

The company's products include quartz glass tubes, double-hole quartz glass tubes, quartz glass rods, quartz sheets, sapphire windows, calcium fluoride glass windows, infrared ultraviolet coatings, high-pressure resistant aluminosilicate glass window panels, quartz glass instruments, high borosilicate glass instruments, quartz crucibles, quartz gold-plated tubes, quartz heaters, quartz infrared heating tubes, far-infrared directional radiation heaters ultraviolet germicidal lamps and other special types of quartz glass products.

Yancheng Mingyang Quartz Products Co., Ltd.
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