Duratherm

Some applications require food grade rated heat transfer fluids. Applications such as blow molding of beverage containers, plastic cutlery, frozen food trays to meat and poultry processing and cooking require food grade heat transfer fluids. Heat transfer fluids are typically registered with international organizations such as the NSF or with an individual countries governing body such as the CFIA in Canada. It’s always recommended to ensure your heat transfer fluids meet your local requirements.

How are heat transfer fluids heated?

Heat Transfer fluids can be heated with electric immersion heaters specifically designed for heat transfer fluids, fuel fired boilers, heat exchangers or even solar panels. Care must be taken when heating heat transfer fluids so as not to exceed their bulk or film temperatures but essentially any appropriate heat source can be used to heat transfer fluids.

Waste heat recovery is a growing area where waste heat from exhaust gases, exothermic reactions etc can be used to heat, heat transfer fluids which can subsequently be stored or used in other processes requiring heat. As with any heat source used to heat up heat transfer fluids proper care must be taken to ensure both bulk and skin maximum temperatures are not exceeded.

How are heat transfer fluids cooled?

Heat Transfer fluids can be cooled using liquid to liquid heat exchangers, condensing coils, chillers etc. Essentially anything that heat transfer fluids can be exposed to, flowed past/through/over that has a temperature lower than that of the desired temperature for the heat transfer fluids.

How do I select appropriate heat transfer fluids for my application?

First and foremost you want to make sure any heat transfer fluids you are considering meet your temperature requirements, both high and low. Heat transfer fluids should be evaluated as well for safety. A heat transfer fluids flashpoint, firepoint and auto-igntion temperature should be evaluated to ensured to meet any industry or government regulations. From there you want to consider the thermal efficiency of the heat transfer fluids that meet your safety requirements. If a heat transfer fluids viscosity for example is too high at your lowest required temperature it may not operate efficiently and may cost you in long term energy costs.

A heat transfer fluids life expectancy should also be considered. Cost is always a consideration but some heat transfer fluids will last much longer than others in a given application. Often heat transfer fluids have similar physical properties but what sets one apart from other heat transfer fluids is often not seen on a data sheet. Talk to suppliers and their customers to find out if their heat transfer fluids will live up to your expectation in your given application. Oxidation of heat transfer fluids is often something that is overlooked but if a system is not designed to inherently protect heat transfer fluids from oxidation its important to consider heat transfer fluids that have additives to compensate.

Environmental impact of heat transfer fluids should also be considered. Many heat transfer fluids on the market today are considered non-toxic and non-hazardous, some even rated as food grade. However, other heat transfer fluids can contain high levels of carcinogens either in the heat transfer fluids themselves or as a bi-product of their degradation. And while most heat transfer fluids are well contained within their systems consideration should be taken in case of leaks or spills both to worker health and safety as well as the impact on the environment. In some cases fluids will require the area around the system to be diked off depending on the heat transfer fluids loss reportability limit.

All Duratherm heat transfer fluids are non-toxic and non hazardous and virtually odorless and therefore friendly to workers and the environment. This also makes disposal after a long service life less expensive and much easier.

Our website is full of information on heat transfer fluids, their applications as well as complete guides to proper selection of heat transfer fluids.