Thermocouple Cables & Its Types
August 16, 2022
Thermocouple Cable

Temperature measurement and management is essential in many industries such as automobiles, cold storage, and manufacturing, among others. Sophisticated devices are used to accurately measure and display the temperature; a slight miscalculation can lead to a domino effect of problems. To ensure this does not happen, temperature measurement devices, or thermocouples, must be fitted with high quality wiring on the inside. But which? Learn more below.

Thermocouple Wire

A thermocouple wire is one which is fitted inside a thermocouple, and usually consists of one positively charged wire and another negatively charged one. For example, the positively charged wire could be copper while the negatively charged one could be nickel. It works when these two wires connect at the temperature measurement junction as that point sparks off a thermoelectric current. Identifying which one is which is easy too as they are colour coded.

  • The negatively charged wire is Red
  • The positively charged wire is coloured the same as the Thermocouple

It is noteworthy that a thermocouple wire’s length must be under 100 feet while its diameter should be a minimum of 20 AWG. However, while making a decision for your product, it is imperative to choose the right tc wires, which is why we will take you through thermocouple wire types below.

Thermocouple Wire Types

Thermocouples use different metals for their wiring and hence, these tc wires come in different types and compositions. Given below are the different thermocouple wire types:

  • Type J Thermocouple Wire:

    A type J thermocouple wire is one with a blend of iron and constantan i.e. Copper-Nickel (55% copper + 45% nickel), and can measure temperature between -210 degrees C to 750 degrees C. Its standard accuracy range is +/- 2.2C or +/- .75%, whichever is greater.

  • Type K Thermocouple Wire:

    A type K thermocouple wire has a chromel i.e. Nickel- Chromium (80% nickel + 20% aluminium) and alumel i.e. Nickel-Aluminium (95% nickel, 2% manganese, 2% aluminium, 1% silicone) blend. It can measure temperature between -200 degrees C and 1260 degrees C. Its standard accuracy range is +/- 2.2C or +/- .75%, whichever is greater.

  • Type T Thermocouple Wire:

    A type t thermocouple wire has a copper and constantan i.e. Copper-Nickel (55% copper + 45% nickel) blend, and can measure temperatures between -270 degrees C to 370 degrees C. Its standard accuracy range is +/- 1.0C or +/- .75%, whichever is greater.

  • Type E Thermocouple Wire:

    A type K thermocouple wire has a nickel-chromium i.e. (Chromel) and constantan i.e. Copper-Nickel (55% copper + 45% nickel) blend, thus making it more stable than many of its counterparts. It can measure temperature between -270 degrees C and 870 degrees C. Its standard accuracy is +/- 1.7C or +/- 0.5%, whichever is greater.

  • Type N Thermocouple Wire:

    A type N thermocouple wire stands for Nicrosil or Nisil. It can operate in temperature between 300 degrees C and 500 degrees C. Its standard accuracy is +/- 2.2C or +/- .75%, whichever is greater.

  • Type B Thermocouple Wire:

    A type B thermocouple wire has a Platinum Rhodium blend, and can measure temperatures between 0 degrees C and 1700 degrees C. Its standard accuracy is +/- 0.5%, and is extremely stable even at very high temperatures.

Now that you know what a thermocouple wire is along with its different types, you should also know which company manufacturers them.

KEI Industries – Manufacturers of Superior Quality Thermocouple Wires

KEI Industries – the brainchild of Mr. Gupta – was established as Krishna Electrical Industries in 1968. With quality consciousness at the helm of their operations, the company has quickly grown into a globally present holistic wire and cable solutions provider. Thermocouple wires are a speciality product that we offer to 10+ industries, and each client is happy with their performance to date. If you would like to know more about this product, please write to us on info@kei-ind.com. You can also visit www.kei-ind.com to see our entire product range or follow us on social media to stay updated with the latest news.