The catalytic heater is a type of heater that emits infrared heat without using any flame. This results in heat in the form of medium to long infrared waves. This output is evenly absorbed by a wide range of organic materials such as wood, plastic and metal.
A catalytic heater creates this heat using a chemical reaction from broken down molecules. A catalyst within the catalytic heater then causes a catalytic combustion. This occurs when a natural gas in the presence of oxygen creates carbon dioxide, water and heat.
Natural gas ignites at a substantially lower temperature, therefore no flame is involved or produced. Far infrared wave emitters are created, producing radiant heat. The heat produced from a catalytic heater has a significantly higher thermal efficiency when compared to conventional heating produced from a non-catalytic heater.