Feel the Heat – Managing High Temperatures

Most of the products we use, or come across on a day-to-day basis, have gone through some form of high temperature process during manufacturing: from the production of glass bottles, to aluminium cans, fibreglass insulation bats in your home, and the steel used to construct buildings or Colorbond® for your fence or roof.

High temperature processes require equipment that is designed to handle extreme temperatures. Platinum-based thermocouples dominate high temperature processes. Type R,S, and B, as well as the Nicrobell® sheathed type N mineral insulated thermocouples are widely used for temperatures of 1000°C to 1250°C.

Operating with temperatures over 1250°C, the only choice is a platinum-based thermocouple. These are typically installed in a sheath to protect the thermocouple from damage and to ensure accurate readings.

The sheaths can be made from either Hexaloy SA®, a silicon carbide material with no free silica, or metal ceramic, a composite material made from chromium and aluminium oxide.   Pyrosales will analyse and select the appropriate thermocouple/sheath combination for your process needs.