Thermocouple type K, exposed tip, glass fiber insulated, 5 m

The Pico SE031 Type K Exposed-Tip Thermocouple, Glass-Fiber Insulated, 5 m is designed for engineers, laboratories, R&D teams and general temperature-monitoring applications that require a responsive thermocouple with an extended cable length.

Pico Technology identifies the SE031 as an exposed-junction Type K thermocouple with glass-fiber insulated 0.3 mm twisted-pair conductor.

Key manufacturer specifications include:

• Order Code: SE031
• Thermocouple Type: Type K
• Junction Type: Exposed
• Tip Diameter: 1.5 mm
• Tip Temperature Range: −60 °C to +350 °C
• Conductor Diameter: 0.3 mm
• Conductor Configuration: Twisted pair
• Insulation: Glass fiber / fiberglass
• Cable Length: 5 m
• Approximate Cable Length: 16 ft
• Plug Type: Molded flat-pin mini-plug
• Tolerance Standards: IEC 60584-2:1993 / BS EN 60584-1:2013

Exposed-Junction Temperature Measurement

The SE031 uses an exposed thermocouple junction, meaning the sensing junction is directly exposed to the surrounding measurement environment rather than enclosed inside a protective metal sheath.

This construction reduces the thermal mass around the sensing point and allows the thermocouple to react quickly when the surrounding temperature changes.

The exposed-junction design is particularly useful for:

• Air-temperature measurements
• Gas-temperature testing
• Environmental chamber monitoring
• Laboratory thermal experiments
• Equipment testing
• Heating and cooling studies
• R&D temperature measurements
• Multi-point temperature logging

−60 °C to +350 °C Tip Temperature Range

Pico specifies the SE031 sensing tip for:

• Minimum temperature: −60 °C
• Maximum temperature: +350 °C

This is the correct operating range for the physical SE031 thermocouple.

Although Type K thermocouple technology can be used at substantially higher temperatures when manufactured using different conductors and insulation, the SE031 itself is specified only to +350 °C.

Applications requiring higher temperatures should use Pico's dedicated high-temperature thermocouple range rather than extending the SE031 beyond its published specification.

1.5 mm Exposed Tip

Pico specifies:

• Tip diameter: 1.5 mm

The small exposed junction provides direct thermal contact with the measurement environment.

A low-mass exposed tip is useful for measurements where:

• Temperature changes occur rapidly
• Air temperature must be monitored
• Gas temperature needs to be measured
• Fast thermal response is desirable
• A compact sensing point is required

Very Fast Response

Pico states that exposed-tip thermocouples provide a very fast response because the sensing junction is directly exposed.

This makes the SE031 useful for monitoring changing temperatures in:

• Air streams
• Gases
• Equipment enclosures
• Environmental chambers
• Heating systems
• Cooling systems
• Laboratory experiments

Pico does not publish a specific numerical response time for the SE031, so a response value in seconds should not be added unless separately verified.

Suitable for Gas Temperature Measurements

Pico specifically identifies exposed-tip thermocouples as ideal for gas measurements.

The SE031 can therefore be used for suitable applications including:

• Heated-air temperature measurement
• Ambient air monitoring
• Gas-temperature experiments
• Environmental testing
• Thermal chamber measurements
• Equipment airflow studies

The exposed tip allows the surrounding air or gas to directly contact the thermocouple junction.

Type K Thermocouple Technology

The SE031 uses a Type K thermocouple, one of the most common thermocouple types used in engineering and industrial temperature measurement.

Type K thermocouples are frequently used for:

• Laboratory testing
• Product development
• Environmental monitoring
• Engineering experiments
• Equipment temperature monitoring
• Industrial test applications

The usable temperature range must always follow the specification of the actual probe construction. For the SE031, that range is −60 °C to +350 °C.

0.3 mm Twisted-Pair Conductor

Pico specifies the SE031 with a:

• 0.3 mm twisted-pair conductor

The two thermocouple alloy wires form the electrical measurement path between the exposed junction and the thermocouple connector.

The 0.3 mm twisted-pair configuration is part of Pico's standard glass-fiber insulated Type K thermocouple construction.

Glass-Fiber Insulated Cable

The SE031 uses:

• Glass-fiber / fiberglass insulation

The insulation protects the thermocouple conductors while retaining the flexible wire-style construction of the sensor.

The product should be described as glass-fiber insulated, rather than as having a glass-fiber sheath or metal probe sheath.

Pico does not publish a separate continuous cable temperature rating specifically for SE031, so the product page should not add an unsupported insulation temperature specification.

Extended 5 m Cable

The SE031 provides:

• Cable length: 5 m
• Approximately 16 ft

The extended cable is useful where the sensing point is positioned a significant distance from the thermocouple data logger.

Typical installations can include:

• Large environmental chambers
• Laboratory rigs
• Equipment test stations
• Remote temperature-monitoring points
• Product-development test systems
• Engineering experiments

The longer cable allows the measurement instrument to remain away from the sensing location while maintaining the standard SE031 thermocouple construction.

Pico Standard Glass-Fiber Type K Range

Pico offers standard exposed-tip glass-fiber Type K thermocouples in several cable lengths:

All three belong to the same standard glass-fiber insulated exposed-tip Type K family.

The appropriate version can therefore be selected according to the required cable reach.

Molded Flat-Pin Mini-Plug

Pico specifies the SE031 connector as:

• Molded flat-pin mini-plug

This provides a convenient connection to compatible thermocouple measurement equipment such as the Pico USB TC-08.

The molded plug also helps maintain correct thermocouple polarity when connected to compatible miniature thermocouple inputs.

Recommended for Pico USB TC-08

Pico lists SE031 in the Type K accessory range for the USB TC-08 Thermocouple Data Logger.

The TC-08 provides:

• 8 thermocouple input channels
• Type K support
• Built-in cold-junction compensation
• Multi-channel temperature acquisition
• PicoLog software
• Long-duration temperature recording

Multiple SE031 thermocouples can therefore be used with available TC-08 channels for multi-point temperature monitoring.

Multi-Point Temperature Monitoring

Using several SE031 thermocouples with a multi-channel logger allows engineers to monitor temperatures simultaneously at different positions.

Typical applications include:

• Thermal chamber mapping
• Heating profiles
• Cooling profiles
• Equipment temperature distribution
• Air-temperature gradients
• Product thermal testing
• Research experiments

The 5 m cable is particularly useful where measurement points are distributed across a larger test setup.

Environmental Chamber Testing

The exposed-tip SE031 can be used to monitor air temperature within suitable environmental and thermal chambers.

Multiple thermocouples can be placed at different locations to study:

• Temperature uniformity
• Hot spots
• Cold spots
• Heating rates
• Cooling rates
• Temperature stability

Consistent probe positioning helps improve measurement repeatability.

Laboratory and R&D Applications

The SE031 is suitable for general laboratory applications where:

• Temperatures remain between −60 °C and +350 °C
• An exposed sensing junction is appropriate
• A long 5 m cable is required
• Type K measurement is preferred
• Multi-channel logging is needed

Typical uses include engineering validation, product development and thermal experiments.

Important Limitation for Corrosive or Oxidizing Liquids

Because the thermocouple alloys are directly exposed at the sensing junction, exposed-tip thermocouples are not recommended for corrosive or oxidizing liquids.

For these environments, use an appropriately protected, waterproof or sheathed thermocouple instead.

The SE031 should therefore not be marketed as a universal liquid-immersion sensor.

Thermocouple Tolerance Standards

Pico states that its thermocouples are manufactured to strict industry tolerances specified in:

• IEC 60584-2:1993
• BS EN 60584-1:2013

The current official SE031 product page does not publish a separate SE031-specific accuracy such as ±1.1 °C or ±0.4% of reading.

The product page should therefore use Pico's verified standards information rather than adding an unsupported model-specific accuracy value.

Standard vs High-Temperature 5 m Thermocouple

The SE031 should not be confused with the SE062 high-temperature 5 m Type K thermocouple.

The SE031 is a standard general-purpose thermocouple rated to +350 °C, while SE062 uses heavier conductors and high-temperature insulation for substantially higher-temperature applications.

Typical Applications

The Pico SE031 is suitable for:

• Air-temperature measurement
• Gas-temperature measurement
• Laboratory temperature logging
• Environmental chamber testing
• Equipment thermal monitoring
• Product-development testing
• Heating and cooling experiments
• Engineering validation
• Research and development
• Multi-point temperature monitoring
• Extended-distance temperature measurement
• USB TC-08 data-logging systems