Thermocouple type T, exposed tip, fiberglass insulated, 2 m

The Pico SE052 Type T Exposed-Tip Thermocouple, Fiberglass Insulated, 2 m is designed for engineers, laboratories, research teams and temperature-monitoring applications requiring good accuracy across low and moderate temperatures with additional cable reach.

Pico Technology identifies the SE052 as:

• Order Code: SE052
• Thermocouple Type: Type T
• Accuracy Class: Class 1
• Class 1 Temperature Range: −75 °C to +260 °C
• Accuracy from −40 °C to +125 °C: ±0.5 °C
• Accuracy from +125 °C to +260 °C: ±0.4%
• Tip Construction: Exposed junction / welded tip
• Cable Material: Fiberglass
• Cable Length: 2 m
• Connector: Miniature thermocouple connector
• Tolerance Standards: IEC 60584-2:1993 / BS EN 60584-1:2013

Type T Class 1 Temperature Measurement

The SE052 uses Type T thermocouple technology, which Pico recommends for applications requiring higher accuracy than Type K where the narrower Type T measurement range is suitable.

Its Class 1 measurement range extends from:

• −75 °C to +260 °C

The published accuracy is:

• −40 °C to +125 °C: ±0.5 °C
• +125 °C to +260 °C: ±0.4%

These specifications make the SE052 suitable for laboratory, environmental, refrigeration and general engineering measurements where temperature accuracy is important.

Suitable for Low and Moderate Temperatures

Type T thermocouples are particularly useful for low-temperature measurement applications.

Typical uses include:

• Laboratory temperature monitoring
• Refrigeration testing
• Freezer monitoring
• Environmental chamber testing
• Product cooling studies
• Engineering experiments
• Research and development
• Food-related temperature testing
• Air and gas temperature measurement

The Type T measurement range is narrower than Type K, but it provides better accuracy within its specified operating range.

Exposed Welded Junction

The SE052 uses an:

• Exposed welded thermocouple junction

The sensing junction directly contacts the surrounding measurement environment instead of being enclosed inside a metal sheath.

This minimizes thermal mass around the sensing point and allows the sensor to respond quickly when the surrounding temperature changes.

Very Fast Response

Pico describes exposed-tip thermocouples as providing a very fast response.

This makes the SE052 useful for monitoring changing temperatures in:

• Air
• Gases
• Environmental chambers
• Cooling systems
• Laboratory experiments
• Heating and cooling tests

Pico does not publish a numerical response time for the SE052, so no specific response time in seconds should be added.

Ideal for Gas Measurements

Pico specifically states that the exposed welded tip is ideal for gas measurements.

Potential applications include:

• Ambient-air monitoring
• Gas-temperature testing
• Refrigerated-air measurements
• Environmental chamber monitoring
• HVAC-related experiments
• Laboratory airflow studies

Because the sensing junction is directly exposed, changes in the surrounding air or gas can reach the thermocouple junction quickly.

Important Liquid-Measurement Limitation

The exposed thermocouple alloys are not protected by a metal or waterproof sheath.

Pico therefore states that exposed-tip thermocouples should not be used in corrosive or oxidizing liquids.

For applications involving:

• Corrosive liquids
• Oxidizing fluids
• Chemical solutions
• Permanent liquid immersion

a suitably protected or waterproof Type T probe should be selected instead.

Fiberglass Cable Insulation

The SE052 uses:

• Fiberglass cable insulation

Pico notes that fiberglass insulation provides resistance to higher temperatures that could otherwise damage PTFE-insulated cables.

This makes fiberglass useful where increased cable-temperature resistance is required.

The product should still be operated within Pico's published SE052 measurement and installation specifications.

2 m Cable Length

The SE052 provides:

• 2 m cable length
• Approximately 6 ft

The longer cable provides additional separation between the measurement point and the temperature data logger compared with the SE051 1 m version.

This is useful for:

• Environmental chambers
• Refrigeration equipment
• Laboratory test benches
• Product-development setups
• Remote measurement locations
• Engineering experiments

Miniature Thermocouple Connector

The SE052 uses a:

• Miniature thermocouple connector

This provides a straightforward connection to compatible Type T measurement equipment.

The connector is suitable for instruments such as the Pico USB TC-08 Thermocouple Data Logger.

Recommended for Pico USB TC-08

Pico Technology officially lists the SE052 as a recommended accessory for the USB TC-08 Thermocouple Data Logger.

The TC-08 supports:

• Type T thermocouples
• 8 thermocouple input channels
• Built-in cold-junction compensation
• Multi-channel temperature recording
• PicoLog software
• Long-duration temperature logging

Multiple SE052 sensors can therefore be used with one TC-08 for multi-point temperature-monitoring applications.

Multi-Point Temperature Logging

Several SE052 thermocouples can be connected to available TC-08 channels to monitor temperature simultaneously at different locations.

Typical applications include:

• Environmental chamber mapping
• Refrigeration testing
• Cooling-system analysis
• Laboratory experiments
• Product thermal validation
• Air-temperature distribution studies

Engineers can compare temperature differences, cooling profiles and thermal gradients using one multi-channel data-logging system.

Refrigeration and Freezer Monitoring

Type T thermocouples are particularly well suited to low-temperature applications.

The SE052 can be used for suitable:

• Refrigeration testing
• Freezer monitoring
• Cold-room experiments
• Cooling-system development
• Environmental chamber testing
• Laboratory low-temperature measurements

The −75 °C Class 1 lower limit provides useful coverage for many sub-zero engineering applications.

Laboratory and Research Applications

The combination of Type T accuracy, exposed-junction response and a 2 m cable makes the SE052 suitable for:

• Scientific experiments
• Product testing
• Thermal characterization
• R&D measurements
• Educational laboratories
• Equipment validation
• Temperature data logging

Type T vs Type K Thermocouple

Pico specifically notes that Type T is a good choice when greater accuracy than Type K is required, although its measurement range is narrower.

Choose Type T when:

• Measurements remain within −75 °C to +260 °C
• Low-temperature performance is important
• Better thermocouple accuracy is preferred

Choose an appropriate Type K sensor when:

• Much higher temperatures are required
• The wider Type K operating range is more important

Fiberglass vs PTFE Insulation

Pico offers both fiberglass and PTFE versions of its Type T exposed-tip thermocouples.

Fiberglass is useful where greater temperature resistance of the cable insulation is required.

PTFE is often preferred where resistance to:

• Oils
• Chemicals
• Fluids
• Moisture

is more important.

Probe selection should therefore consider both temperature range and environmental exposure.

Thermocouple Tolerance Standards

Pico states that all of its thermocouples are manufactured to strict industry tolerances specified by:

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

These standards provide the basis for the published Type T Class 1 performance.

Complete Measurement Accuracy

The final accuracy of a complete measurement system depends on more than the thermocouple itself.

Factors include:

• Thermocouple tolerance
• Data logger accuracy
• Cold-junction compensation
• Sensor placement
• Thermal gradients
• Cable condition
• Environmental conditions

For repeatable measurements, keep the exposed junction consistently positioned and inspect the cable and junction regularly.

Typical Applications

The Pico SE052 is suitable for:

• Laboratory temperature measurement
• Refrigeration testing
• Freezer monitoring
• Environmental chamber testing
• Air-temperature measurement
• Gas-temperature monitoring
• Product thermal testing
• Research and development
• Cooling-system evaluation
• Educational laboratory experiments
• Multi-point temperature monitoring
• USB TC-08 temperature data logging