Types of Thermocouples A thermocouple is a temperature sensor that is used to gauge temperatures in manufacturing, machining and scientific applications, as well

as everyday appliances. A thermocouple can be useful to ensure surfaces, like steel or other metals or metal alloys, are appropriately heated for machining, or to gauge when a container or location is too warm and coolants need to be introduced. A thermocouple functions based on differential calculations from a known temperature point, called a cold or reference junction, and a probe, connected to the unit to be measured. Lab conditions allow a natural cold junction, but applied thermocouple conditions often necessitate the use of an artificially generated temperature constant. Because voltages generated by connecting dissimilar metals are known and constant, they are used as reference points based on their relation to the measuring junction. When the machine determines this difference, it calculates the temperature and sends the message to the measuring device. Because different combinations of metals will produce different temperatures, and these different metals have different durability and strength levels, researchers have produced standardized combinations to exploit maximum outcome potential in a standardized set of combinations. There are four different classifications of thermocouple pairings, most distinguished by a capital letter heading. These are the home body class, the upper crust class, the rarified class and the exotic class. The home body class consists of standard or commonly used metals, while the upper crust class represents all platinum combinations. The rarified class consists of refractory metals and the exotic class is much more specific in nature, usually special combinations of rare metals used for specified applications. Thermocouple Type B Composition Platinum 30% Rhodium (+) Platinum 6% Rhodium (-) C W5Re Tungsten 5% Rhenium (+) W26Re Tungsten 26% Rhenium (-) E Chromel (+) Constantan (-) J Iron (+) Constantan (-) Temperature Range 2500-3100 degrees F 1370-1700 degrees C 3000-4200 degrees F 1650-2315 degrees C 200-1650 degrees F 95-900 degrees C 200-1400 degrees F 95-760 degrees C

Chromel (+) Alumel (-)

200-2300 degrees F 95-1260 degrees C 32-2250 degrees F 0-1287 degrees C 1200-2300 degrees F 650 -1260 degrees C 1600-2640 degrees F 870-1450 degrees C 1800-2640 degrees F 980-1450 degrees C negative 330-660 degrees F negative 200-350 degrees C

Nickel (+) Nickel (-)

Nicrosil (+) Nisil (-)

Platinum 13% Rhodium (+) Platinum (-)

Platinum 10% Rhodium (+) Platinum (-) Copper (+)

T Constantan (-)

Rarefied and exotic thermocouples do not have special alpha codes assigned to them, because they are much less frequently used. Some of these combinations have standard temperature ranges listed in technical literature, however. In addition to the numbering system, thermocouples are also generally color coded. The color codings are different from country to country, so it is best to look up the different color coding based on the country from which the material is sourced. Some thermocouple applications include measuring steel during machining. B, K, R, and S type thermocouples are most suited to this job because of their high temperature ranges. This helps the manufacture know when the molten material is melted to a sufficient temperature. Heating appliances also perform well with thermocouples. Gas-fed appliances can get too hot if they are pumped to saturation, which can create dangerous situations where gas is under pressure and high temperatures are present. Thermocouples can read temperatures and activate gas shut off devices when situations get volatile.

Type K

Temperature Temperature Tolerance range C range C class one (continuous) (short term) (C) 0 to +1100 180 to +1300 1.5 between 40 C and 375 C 0.004T

Tolerance class two (C) 2.5 between 40 C and 333 C 0.0075T

IEC Color code

BS Color code

ANSI Color code

0 to +750

180 to +800

0 to +1100

270 to +1300

0 to +1600

50 to +1700

0 to +1600

50 to +1750

between 375 C and 1000 C 1.5 between 40 C and 375 C 0.004T between 375 C and 750 C 1.5 between 40 C and 375 C 0.004T between 375 C and 1000 C 1.0 between 0 C and 1100 C [1 + 0.003(T 1100)] between 1100 C and 1600 C 1.0 between 0 C and 1100 C [1 + 0.003(T 1100)] between 1100 C and 1600 C

between 333 C and 1200 C 2.5 between 40 C and 333 C 0.0075T between 333 C and 750 C 2.5 between 40 C and 333 C 0.0075T between 333 C and 1200 C 1.5 between 0 C and 600 C 0.0025T between 600 C and 1600 C

Not defined.

1.5 between 0 C and 600 C 0.0025T between 600 C and 1600 C

Not defined.

No No 0.0025T standard standard Not between Not +200 to +1700 0 to +1820 use use Available 600 C and defined. copper copper 1700 C wire wire 185 to +300 250 to +400 0.5 1.0 between between 40 C and 40 C and 125 C 133 C 0.004T 0.0075T between between 125 C and 133 C and

0 to +800

40 to +900

Chromel/ 272 to +300 n/a AuFe

350 C 350 C 1.5 2.5 between between 40 C and 40 C and 375 C 333 C 0.004T 0.0075T between between 375 C and 333 C and 800 C 900 C Reproducibility 0.2% of the voltage; each sensor needs individual calibration.