What’s the essential distinction between infrared burner and infrared catalytic burner?

First, burning in different ways.

Infrared combustion is in the form of premix burning. Combustion reaction is in the fire hole or on the surface. Flame is very short, so it is called flameless combustion. But in fact it is not flameless combustion, because it has short flame.

Infrared catalytic combustion is mainly on the surface of the catalyst of the fire hole. It is inflamed by superficial free radicals. It has no flame when combusting. It can realize the real flameless combustion.

Second, release of energy in different ways.

Infrared combustion is actually in the way of heating the metal net or porous ceramics partially and then releasing infrared ray at a specific wavelength under high temperature through the heated metal net and porous ceramics. It does not belong to the proper infrared combustion technology.

Catalytic combustion can make the reactant generate low-energy free radicals on the surface of catalyst as well as excited vibrant state materials but not excited electronic state materials which can create visible light and flame. Catalytic combustion can release heat energy almost in the form of infrared radiation. It fundamentally avoids the loss of energy caused by the visible light. It is the real infrared combustion technology. So, catalytic combustion is the most efficient mode to get a full use of energy.