Diesel engine pre-heaters

Kanthal® materials are used to start diesel engines operating in cold climates. Kanthal® strip and wire help to pre-heat the engine and provide clean performance by reducing emissions and minimizing "white smoke". An intake air pre-heater is used on the intake channel in order to increase air temperature supplied to the cylinder for combustion.

The heater works in two modes:

Pre-heat mode

While turning on the engine, the air going through is heated in order to reach minimum needed ignition temperature

Post-heat mode

Used to warm up combustion in order to minimize "white smoke". White smoke is a mixture of air and oil that is not fully combusted, which is exhausted until the engine reaches working temperature. In this mode the diesel pre-heater works as an environmental friendly complement to reduce pollution levels emitted into the environment

Kanthal®
NiCr alloys
Max. continuous operating temp.
ºC (ºF)
Resistivity at 20ºC (68ºF)
Ω mm2/m (Ω/cmf)
Nikrothal® 40 (wire) 1100 (2010) 1.04 (626)
Nikrothal® 40 (ribbon) 1100 (2010) 1.04 (626)
Nikrothal® 40 (strip) 1100 (2010) 1.04 (626)
Nikrothal® 60 (wire) 1150 (2100) 1.11 (668)
Nikrothal® 60 (ribbon) 1150 (2100) 1.11 (668)
Nikrothal® 60 (strip) 1150 (2100) 1.11 (668)
Nikrothal® 80 (wire) 1200 (2190) 1.09 (655)
Nikrothal® 80 (ribbon) 1200 (2190) 1.09 (655)
Nikrothal® 80 (strip) 1200 (2190) 1.09 (655)

See also our complete list of alloys to compare different types of materials.

Kanthal®
FeCrAl alloys

Max. continuous operating temp.
ºC (ºF)
Resistivity at 20ºC (68ºF)
Ω mm2/m (Ω/cmf)
Kanthal® AF (wire) 1300 (2370) 1.39 (836)
Kanthal® AF (strip) 1300 (2370) 1.39 (836)
Kanthal® D (wire) 1300 (2370) 1.35 (812)
Kanthal® D (ribbon) 1300 (2370) 1.35 (812)
Kanthal® D (strip) 1300 (2370) 1.35 (812)

See also our complete list of alloys to compare different types of materials.

Kanthal® NiFe alloys Max. continuous operating temp. ºC/ºF Resistivity at 20ºC (68ºF) Ω mm2/m (Ω/cmf)
Nifethal® 70 (wire) 600 (1110) 0.21 (130)
Nifethal® 70 (ribbon) 600 (1110) 0.21 (130)

Connected products

Here you can find the Kanthal product offering

Wire

Wire

Kanthal provides resistance heating and conductive wires in FeCrAl, NiCr, NiFe, and CuNi alloys, designed for high-temperature and resistance applications. Available as round, flat (ribbon), and shaped wire, with various coatings and surface finishes, Kanthal wire ensures durability, efficiency, and long-term performance across industries.

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