Infrared heating
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Infrared heating refers to heating objects (or people) through electromagnetic radiation.
Infrared radiation is nothing but another name for a specific part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thus, it is of the same nature as radio waves, visible light, ultraviolet, microwaves, and x-rays. These are all electromagnetic waves that travel through space at the speed of light.
The difference between them is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave. Infrared radiation is measured in micrometre (µm or 1×10−6 m) and starts at 0.70 µm and extends to 1000 µm. Although the useful range of wavelengths for infrared heating applications occurs between 0.70 µm to 10 µm.
Infrared radiation travels without heating the air it passes through, (the amount of infrared radiation absorbed by carbon dioxide, water vapor and other particles in the air typically is negligible) and gets absorbed or reflected by objects it strikes.
The temperature of any object as well as its properties will translate in the radiant efficiency and wavelengths emitted.
