Editing Heating element (section)

==== Fe-Cr-Al alloys (AKA Kanthal®) ====
Fe-Cr-Al resistance heating alloys, also known as [[Kanthal (alloy)|Kanthal®]], are described by an ASTM standard.<ref name=":4">{{Cite report |url=http://www.astm.org/cgi-bin/resolver.cgi?B603-07R18 |title=Specification for Drawn or Rolled Iron-Chromium-Aluminum Alloys for Electrical Heating Elements |last=B02 Committee |publisher=ASTM International |doi=10.1520/b0603-07r18 |language=en|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Manufacturers may opt to use this class of alloys as opposed to Ni-Cr(Fe) alloys to avoid the typically relatively higher cost of nickel as a raw material compared to aluminum. The tradeoff is that Fe-Cr-Al alloys are more brittle and less ductile than Ni-Cr(Fe) ones, making them more delicate and prone to failure.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2021-09-27 |title=Why Your Toaster Will Eventually Fail You |url=https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/your-toaster-will-eventually-fail/ |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World |language=en-US}}</ref>

On the other hand, the aluminum oxide layer that forms on the surface of Fe-Cr-Al alloys is more thermodynamically stable than the chromium oxide layer that tends to form on Ni-Cr(Fe), making Fe-Cr-Al better at resisting corrosion.<ref name=":2" /> However, humidity may be more detrimental to the wire life of Fe-Cr-Al than Ni-Cr(Fe).<ref name=":1" />

Fe-Cr-Al alloys, like stainless steels, tend to undergo [[embrittlement]] at room temperature after being heated in the temperature range of 400 to 575&nbsp;°C for an extended duration.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nichol |first1=T. J. |last2=Datta |first2=A. |last3=Aggen |first3=G. |date=April 1980 |title=Embrittlement of ferritic stainless steels |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/BF02670694 |journal=Metallurgical Transactions A |language=en |volume=11 |issue=4 |pages=573–585 |doi=10.1007/BF02670694 |issn=0360-2133|url-access=subscription }}</ref>