Drum Heaters: What Are They For?

Drum heaters go by a few other names such as barrel heaters or container heaters. They are used by many industries where various liquids must be kept at a certain temperature in order not to turn into a solid state.

Industries that need drum heaters are often the food, paint and chemical industries, medicines, and even chocolate and cosmetics. They are used especially when liquid products need long-term storage, but they are also needed in short-term storage, because some geographical areas can be too cold all year round for sensitive chemicals, which can lead to solidification of liquids.

It is not difficult to imagine what can happen to raw material or products that are not protected from liquid viscosity when not using drum heaters. At the very least, products will ruin which can cause financial losses. Below is an information on drum heaters and their different types. There are basically three types:

Silicon band heaters

These are the most commonly used. Silicone is an ideal material to be used because of its high efficient heating element offering low thermal mass and excellent thermal transfer properties.

Base drum heaters

These are steel heaters that are placed at the base of the drum. They are used within harsh industrial environments when you need to melt a solidified item into liquid. Starting heat from the base of the drum often works best to liquefy solids.

Jacket or blanket heaters

These wrap around the drum for full heat insulation. The heating elements are already within the liner of the heating blanket providing evenly dispersed heat over a larger drum.

Other use of drum heaters:

Temperature control

If your product does not need melting, but must be kept at a certain temperature, a drum heater will do that. Some products need to be constantly kept at high temperatures. It is also important that the temperature of storage rooms is met to maintain the desired temperature level within the drum. The drums also keep moisture at bay.

Viscosity regulation

Using heated barrel blankets provides full insulation of heat. These blankets come in a flexible form that can be easily wrapped around metal or plastic drums. They are usually made of silicone rubber and other materials that are designed for freeze protection.

During storage, barrels can be prone to hot and cold spots or the generated heat escaping the room. When these problems arise, most likely your product inside the drum will ruin. Insulation and equal distribution of heat is the main concern. Lack of insulation is the number one cause why liquids, can spoil viscosity is not regulated.

Decontamination

Some liquids need to sit in very high temperatures in order not to get contaminated. If you have a product like that, drum barrels are your solution.

Freeze protection

The main use of drum heaters is to protect oil and other products or raw products from freezing. Consequently, they also protect your business from wasted products and financial losses. Drum heaters are an effective way to apply viscosity control, freeze protection and temperature maintenance to a wide range of different chemicals and materials.