What is the heat output from HP laser diodes?

Your best bet, I think, and one that would be far cheaper would be to use a resistive heating element with a thermostatic probe - unless there are other, unstated reasons why you might prefer non-contact, optical or radiative heating. If the latter, then one or more conventional heat lamps arrayed to heat the substrate to the desired temperature (again, using a thermostatic probe to regulate the temperature) would be a far more viable alternative.

Insofar as how much power is required, that pretty much depends on several factors: The ambient temperature, the volume heated, its moisture content (which will change), and so forth. Clearly, it will take much more energy to bring a cubic yard of material up to temperature than, say, a cup of material. Likewise, it will take more energy to bring moist or wet material up to temp than for dry material.

Just curious, though... why laser diodes and, moreover, why HP laser diodes in particular? Did you inherit a truckload of these thingies?

(Btw, I'm in the market for some IR laser diodes myself if the price - and the wavelength - is right. I'm looking for some inexpensive, mid-to-deep IR LDs emitting at, say, 1.5 microns or longer, for an experiment I am conducting.)

-e

I am was looking towards optical or radiative heating as a possible way of cutting down the power consumption. I am trying to see if it would be possible to make a portable herb vaporizer that would last more the ten minute per charge. the amount of material would be relatively low around 1 or 2 grams. I dont have any laser diodes they just sparked my attention because I know leds usually don't consume much electricty.

Another question for you, can you induce sublimation of a compound with the correct wavelength? Just a thought I had. Peace

Well, as a man once told me, there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. The low power consumption of LED's means the best you can get out of them is low power, and certainly not enough energy to heat 1 or 2 grams of herb to 150 deg. C.

Wait a minute . . . would the herb be . . . nevermind . . .

Poppies? For that Just-Dusted smell? Or am I thinking of Pledge?

-e

When he said HP laser diodes I think he meant High Power Laser Diodes.

Thanks for the clarification. I thought the poster was speaking of High Priced laser diodes.

-e

It's about the same thing: high power = high priced.

Did my original post identify which HP? Methinks thou presumest much.

-e

The laser diodes don't output heat in degrees, they output optical power, measured in Watts. How this power will transform in heat on your substrate depends entirely of your substrate characteristics, not the laser itself. For some of the best high power laser diodes out there see www.nlight.net or to be more specific, look into http://www.nlight.net/publications/nLight_FBA.pdf

Thinking out of the box:

If you want to set off this heating reaction and make it last for ten minutes without further input from external sources...

Roll your plant substrate in a piece of paper and put fire to one end. The substrate now provides the fuel to power the reaction. Time of application can be regulated by varying the length of the package and temperature can be regulated by applying vacuum to one end.

joints are all good and fine for those that only occasionally ingest these compounds to get stoned, but for those that use the god given gift of cannabis for medicinal purposes we would rather be able to release the beneficial molecules and leave the carcinogens in the plant. peace

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progress is inherent in those that wonder. m.s

So do you "release the molecules" for someone else, or yourself? In other words, are you a pharmacologist or a consumer? Just curious about how this cannibis is ingested other than by the usual modes found on the street.

Cheers,
-e

im just someone with a passion for trying to think of ways to help people. I don't personally use the sacred herb anymore but there are plenty of people who would greatly benefit if they were vaporising their herb rather then smoking it.