Matching of Infrared Emitters with Textiles For Improved Energy Utilization

Abstract

The successful utilization of infrared radiation is dependent on the spectral characteristics of the material being processed and on how well the spectral output of the infrared source matches those of the material being heated. Very little bas been published on the spectral emission of industrial infrared sources, and almost nothing has been reported on the spectral absorptivity of textiles. This information is needed to allow optimal utilization of infrared radiation. A study conducted to characterize the infrared spectral absorption characteristics of textiles as a function of important parameters such as fabric type, color, fiber type, moisture content, etc., will be discussed. An FT-IR spectrometer with an integrating sphere was used to measure the infrared absorptivity of fabrics over the wavelength spectrum of 0.7 to 25 microns (the range of operation of commercial infrared emitters). Since the operating ranges for several system components (detectors, beam splitters and sources) are much narrower than the broad spectrum desired, the spectrum was divided into four regions, and different components were selected for operation in each of the regions. The information generated in this investigation is useful in matching IR emitters with applications in the textile industry, allowing optimization of IR heating processes with respect to energy utilization and productivity.