Cables

Which insulation Material
Usable temperature range
Application Notes
PVC
-10C to 105C
 Good general purpose insulation for "light" environments. Waterproof and very flexible.
PTFE
-75C to 250/300C
Resistant to oils, acids, other adverse agents and fluids. Good mechanical strength and flexibility.

FEP

-75 to +200

Excellent dielectric properties, chemically inert, tough at low temp.

PFA

-75 to +260

Excellent chemical stability, mechanical strength and electrical properties

Silicone Rubber

-50 to +200

Offers excellent dielectric strength and flexibility. Operation over a wide temperature range and ease of silastic bonding are other outstanding characteristics of silicone rubber cable.

Glass fibre

(Varnished)
-60C to 350/400C
 Good temperature range but will not prevent ingress of fluids. Fairly flexible but does not provide good mechanical protection.
High temperature glass fibre
-60C to 700C
 Will withstand temperature up to 700C but will not prevent ingress of fluids. Fairly flexible, not good protection against physical disturbance.
Ceramic Fibre
0C to 1000C
 Will withstand high temperature, up to 1000ฐC. Will not protect against fluids or physical disturbance.

Glass fibre

(Varnished)

Stainless steel over braid
-60C to 350/400C
 Good resistance to physical disturbance and high temperature (up to 400C ) Will not prevent ingress of fluids.

Thermocouple
Single or multi-strand?
The choice is mainly determined by the application (e.g.. termination considerations and internal diameter of associated sheath). Generally, single strand wires are used for hot junctions, and multi-strand or thicker single strand for extensions of the thermocouple. The greater the effective conductor diameter, the lower the value of thermocouple loop resistance, an important consideration with long cable runs.
Performance Considerations When Connecting Thermocouples
Length of cable runs and loop resistance.
The resistivity of extension and compensating cables varies according to the different conductor metals; the limit to cable lengths which can be accommodated by measuring instruments therefore depends on both the thermocouple type and instrument specifications. A general rule for electronic instruments is that up to 100 Ohms loop cable resistance (i.e. total of both legs) will not result in measurement errors.
Link Thermocouple Data

Resistance Thermometer
Unlike thermocouples, resistance thermometers do not require special cable and standard electrical wires with copper conductors should be used. The heavier the gauge of the conductors, the less the impact is on errors due to lead resistance effects as described. Typically 7/0.2mm or 14/0.2mm conductors are specified with insulation chosen to suit a particular application. With long cable runs, the cables may need to be screened and earthed at one end (at the instrument) to minimise noise pick-up (interference) on the measuring circuit.
Link Resistance Thermometer Data

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