Thermocouple: Common Specifications

THERMOCOUPLE
The Thermocouple is a thermoelectric temperature sensor which consists of two dissimilar

metallic wires, e.g., one chromel and one constantan, coupled at the probe tip (measurement junction)
and extended to the reference (known temperature) junction.
The temperature difference between the probe tip and the reference junction is detected by measuring
the change in voltage (electromotive force, EMF) at the reference junction.
The absolute temperature reading can then be obtained by combining the information of the known
reference temperature and the difference of temperature between probe tip and the reference.
Three Wire Layouts of Typical Thermocouples

Common Specifications
Common commercially available thermocouples are specified by ISA (Instrument Society of

America) types. Type E, J, K, and T are base-metal thermocouples and can be used up to about
1000°C (1832°F). Type S, R, and B are noble-metal thermocouples and can be used up to about
2000°C (3632°F).
The following table provides a summary of basic thermocouple properties. For more detailed
specifications of individual thermocouples, please consult the sensor manufacturer.
ISA Material Temperature Sensitivity@ Error* App.**

(+ & -) Range
°C 25°C (77°F)
µV/°C
(°F)
(µV/°F)
Chromel & Constantan -270~1000 60.9 LT:±1.67°C(±3°F)
E I,O
(Ni-Cr & Cu-Ni) (-450~1800) (38.3) HT:±0.5%
Iron & Constantan -210~1200 51.7 LT:±2.2~1.1°C(±4~2°F)
J I,O,R,V
(Fe & Cu-Ni) (-350~2200) (28.7) HT:±0.375~0.75%
Chromel & Alumel -270~1350 40.6 LT:±2.2~1.1°C(±4~2°F)
K I,O
(Ni-Cr & Ni-Al) (-450~2500) (22.6) HT:±0.375~0.75%
LT:±1~2%
Copper & Constantan -270~400 40.6
T HT:±1.5% or I,O,R,V
(Cu & Cu-Ni) (-450~750) (22.6)
±0.42°C(±0.75°F)
Platinum &
87% Platinum/ -50~1750 6 LT:±2.8°C(±5°F)
R I,O
13% Rhodium (-60~3200) (3.3) HT:±0.5%
(Pt & Pt-Rh)
Platinum &
90% Platinum/ -50~1750 6 LT:±2.8°C(±5°F)
S I,O
10% Rhodium (-60~3200) (3.3) HT:±0.5%
(Pt & Pt-Rh)
70% Platinum/
30% Rhodium &
-50~1750 6 LT:±2.8°C(±5°F)
B 94% Platinum/ I,O
(-60~3200) (3.3) HT:±0.5%
6% Rhodium
(Pt-Rh & Pt-Rh)
*:LT = Low temperature range, HT = High temperature range
**:I = Inert media, O = Oxidizing media, R = Reducing media, V = Vacuum
Constantan, Alumel, and Chromel are trade names of their respective owners.
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Pros and Cons
• Pros:
- Low cost.
- No moving parts, less likely to be broken.
- Wide temperature range.
- Reasonably short response time.
- Reasonable repeatability and accuracy.
• Cons:
- Sensitivity is low, usually 50 µV/°C (28 µV/°F) or less. Its low voltage output may be
masked by noise. This problem can be improved, but not eliminated, by better signal
filtering, shielding, and analog-to-digital (A/V) conversion.
- Accuracy, usually no better than 0.5 °C (0.9°F), may not be high enough for some

applications.
- Requires a known temperature reference, usually 0°C (32°F) ice water. Modern

thermocouples, on the other hand, rely on an electrically generated reference.
- Nonlinearity could be bothersome. Fortunately, detail calibration curves for each wire

material can usually be obtained from vendors.
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Thermoelectric Effect
The basis of thermocouples was established by Thomas Johann Seebeck in 1821 when he
discovered that a conductor generates a voltage when subjected to a temperature gradient. To
measure this voltage, one must use a second conductor material which generates a different
voltage under the same temperature gradient. Otherwise, if the same material was used for the
measurement, the voltage generated by the measuring conductor would simply cancel that of the
first conductor. The voltage difference generated by the two materials can then be measured and
related to the corresponding temperature gradient. It is thus clear that, based on Seebeck's
principle, thermocouples can only measure temperature differences and need a known
reference temperature to yield the abolute readings.
There are three major effects involved in a thermocouple circuit: the Seebeck, Peltier, and
Thomson effects.
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The Seebeck effect describes the voltage or electromotive force (EMF) induced by the
temperature difference (gradient) along the wire. The change in material EMF with respect to a
change in temperature is called the Seebeck coefficient or thermoelectric sensitivity. This
coefficient is usually a nonlinear function of temperature.
Peltier effect describes the temperature difference generated by EMF and is the reverse of
Seebeck effect. Finally, the Thomson effect relates the reversible thermal gradient and EMF in a
homogeneous conductor.
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Thermocouple Circuit
A typical thermocouple circuit can be illustrated as follows:
Typical Thermocouple Circuit
Suppose that the Seebeck coefficients of two dissimilar metallic materials, metal A and metal B,
and the lead wires are SA, SB, and SLead respectively. All three Seebeck coefficients are functions
of temperature. The voltage output Vout measured at the gage (see schematic above) is,
where TRef is the temperature at the reference point, TTip is the temperature at the probe tip. Note
that mathematically the voltage induced by the temperature and/or material mismatch of the lead
wires cancels, whereas in reality the lead wires will introduce noise into the circuit.
If the Seebeck coefficient functions of the two thermocouple wire materials are pre-calibrated
and the reference temperature TRef is known (usually set by a 0°C ice bath), the temperature at the
probe tip becomes the only unknown and can be directly related to the voltage readout.
If the Seebeck coefficients are nearly constant across the targeted temperature range, the integral
in the above equation can be simplified, allowing one to solve directly for the temperature at the
probe tip,
In practice, vendors will provide calibration functions for their products. These functions are
usually high order polynomials and are calibrated with respect to a certain reference temperature,
e.g., 0 °C (32 °F). Suppose that the coefficients of the calibration polynomials are a0, a1, a2, ...,
an. The temperature at the probe tip can then be related to the voltage output as,
Note that the above formula is effective only if the reference temperature TRef in the experiment is
kept the same as the reference temperature specified on the data sheet. Furthermore, these
coefficients are unit sensitive. Make sure to use the vendor-specified temperature unit (i.e.
Celsius/centigrade, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin) when plugging in numbers.
Again, a thermocouple is a relative not absolute temperature sensor. In other words, a

thermocouple requires a reference of known temperature which is provided by ice water in the
above illustration. While ice water is an easy to obtain and well known reference, it is not
practical out side of a laboratory. Thus, common commercialized thermocouples often includes
another temperature sensor, such as thermistor, to provide the reading of the reference
(room/surrounding) temperature.
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Thermoelectric Sensitivity
The Seebeck coefficients (thermoelectric sensitivities) of some common materials at 0 °C (32 °F)
are listed in the following table.
Seebeck Seebeck Seebeck

Material Material Material
Coeff. * Coeff. * Coeff. *
Aluminum 3.5 Gold 6.5 Rhodium 6.0
Antimony 47 Iron 19 Selenium 900
Bismuth -72 Lead 4.0 Silicon 440
Cadmium 7.5 Mercury 0.60 Silver 6.5
Carbon 3.0 Nichrome 25 Sodium -2.0
Constantan -35 Nickel -15 Tantalum 4.5
Copper 6.5 Platinum 0 Tellurium 500
Germanium 300 Potassium -9.0 Tungsten 7.5
*: Units are µV/°C; all data provided at a temperature of 0 °C (32 °F)

The above table also reveals some possible wire pairings. For instance, iron or copper can be put
on the positive terminal while constantan can be used for the negative terminal of a
thermocouple circuit (Type J and T).

Thermocouple: Common Specifications

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THERMOCOUPLE

The Thermocouple is a thermoelectric temperature sensor which consists of two dissimilar

Three Wire Layouts of Typical Thermocouples

Common commercially available thermocouples are specified by ISA (Instrument Society of

ISA Material Temperature Sensitivity@ Error* App.**

Pros and Cons

Typical Thermocouple Circuit

Again, a thermocouple is a relative not absolute temperature sensor. In other words, a

Seebeck Seebeck Seebeck

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