Competitive Position of Natural Gas: Ovens for Curing and Heating Plastics Film and Sheet

摘要

To identify the competitive position of natural gas in plastics film and sheet curing and heating applications, costs and technical parameters associated with the gas- and electric-based oven technologies were identified through interviews with equipment manufacturers and vendors, plastics producers, and plastics trade associations. Interviews focused on current curing and heating practices, economic and technical variables between gas and electric technologies, and recommendations for areas that would improve the position of gas technology. Results indicate that plastics curing and heating represents a potentially large market for advanced gas technologies; however, a wide range of systems, both gas and electric, are already available to meet current processing requirements.