Cartridge Fuses: These are a common type of fuse, often referred to as glass fuses due to their glass envelope enclosing the fuse element. They are terminated by metal caps and are placed in an appropriate holder. Variants include slow blow and fast blow fuses, with slow blow fuses designed to handle overcurrent for a short period and fast blow fuses reacting instantly to current spikes. Some are encased in ceramic for high-temperature resistance, and high-voltage variants may be filled with sand or oil to prevent arcing after blowing .
Automotive Fuses: Specifically designed for automotive systems that operate up to 32V and occasionally 42V, these are also known as blade fuses due to their flat, blade-like form within a transparent plastic envelope. They are color-coded according to rated current and include types like micro2, micro3, LP-min(APS), mini (ATM/APM), regular(APR / ATC / ATO / ATS), and maxi(APX) .
Resettable Fuses/Polyfuses: These self-resetting fuses contain carbon black particles in organic polymers. Under normal conditions, the carbon black makes the mixture conductive. When a large current flows, heat is generated, expanding the polymer and forcing the carbon black particles apart, thus reducing conductivity. Conductivity is restored as the temperature decreases, making these fuses reusable without physical replacement. They are also known as PTC (positive temperature coefficient) fuses and are commonly used in computer power supplies and phone chargers .
Semiconductor Fuses: Utilizing the exponential power dissipation of semiconductors with current flow, these fuses are used for ultrafast protection, typically for semiconductor switching devices sensitive to small current spikes .
High Voltage Fuses: Used in power systems to protect transformers and other high-voltage equipment where circuit breakers may not suffice. Rated for more than 1500V and up to 13kV, these fuses often have elements made of copper, silver, or tin, with the fuse link chamber possibly filled with boric acid in expulsion type HV fuses .
DC Cartridge Fuses: These are designed to be larger than AC fuses to avoid extended electrical arcs. The increased size helps to extinguish arcs more effectively due to the constant nature of DC current .
Rewirable Fuses (Kit-Kat Type): Commonly used in house wiring and small industries, these low-voltage fuses allow for the replacement of the fuse element when it has blown .
