HTX platinum thermocouple wire

We’ve tested HTX wire under extreme conditions to ensure it can give you superior durability. During stress testing it maintains excellent functionality after 2,450 hours at 1400°C with 400psi tensile loading. These micrographs show that under the same tensile loading per unit area, standard platinum thermocouple wire forms a bamboo structures and fails after just six hours.

In terms of accuracy, both type S and type R thermocouples with HTX wire repeatedly demonstrate IEC 60584-1:2013 class 1 performance. And while meeting ASTM E230 standard tolerances, they’re also within ASTM E230 special tolerances at high temperatures.

Knowing that microalloying zirconium with platinum doesn’t affect the electrical properties of the thermocouple, we wanted to validate its performance. With funding from innovate UK, we used independent trials at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to verify the drift properties. Using extremely precise equipment and in situ calibration, we ran repeated thermal cycles up and down, measuring EMF output at the Co/C freeze point (1324°C) to track drift. Over a 900 hour thermal cycle, both HTX type R and type S wires are more stable, with standard thermocouple wire drifting at a faster rate. And we saw similar trends under a more extreme temperature range.

The combination of a lower drift with the higher strength properties makes HTX thermocouple wire a longer life product.