Thermocouple type K, exposed tip, PTFE insulated, 1 m

The Pico SE000 Type K Exposed-Tip Thermocouple, PTFE Insulated, 1 m is designed for laboratory, engineering, research and general temperature-monitoring applications that require a lightweight, responsive Type K thermocouple with PTFE cable insulation.

Pico Technology specifies SE000 as:

• Order Code: SE000
• Thermocouple Type: Type K
• Junction Type: Exposed
• Tip Diameter: 1.5 mm
• Tip Temperature Range: −75 °C to +250 °C
• Conductor Diameter: 0.2 mm
• Conductor Configuration: Twisted pair
• Cable Insulation: PTFE
• Cable Length: 1 m, approximately 3 ft
• Plug Type: Molded flat-pin mini-plug
• Tolerance Standards: IEC 60584-2:1993 / BS EN 60584-1:2013

Exposed-Junction Type K Temperature Measurement

The SE000 uses an exposed Type K thermocouple junction.

Unlike a sheathed thermocouple, the sensing junction is directly exposed to the measurement environment. This reduces the amount of material surrounding the sensing point and allows temperature changes to reach the junction quickly.

Exposed-tip thermocouples are particularly useful for:

• Ambient air-temperature measurement
• Gas-temperature monitoring
• Laboratory experiments
• Environmental testing
• Equipment thermal testing
• Electronics development
• Heating and cooling studies
• Product validation
• Research and development

Pico describes exposed-tip thermocouples as providing very fast response and being particularly suitable for gas measurements.

−75 °C to +250 °C Tip Temperature Range

Pico specifies the SE000 sensing tip for:

• Minimum temperature: −75 °C
• Maximum temperature: +250 °C

This is the correct operating temperature range for the physical SE000 thermocouple.

Although Type K thermocouple technology can measure significantly higher temperatures when used in other probe constructions, the SE000 should be specified only within its manufacturer-published −75 °C to +250 °C tip range.

For temperatures above +250 °C, a different Pico Type K thermocouple with suitable insulation and construction should be selected.

1.5 mm Exposed Sensing Tip

Pico specifies:

• Tip diameter: 1.5 mm

The small sensing junction supports responsive temperature measurement and allows the probe to monitor changing temperatures without the higher thermal mass associated with larger or sheathed probes.

This is useful in:

• Airflow testing
• Gas-temperature measurement
• Environmental chambers
• Cooling-system evaluation
• Heating experiments
• Laboratory thermal studies

0.2 mm Twisted-Pair Conductor

The SE000 uses a:

• 0.2 mm twisted-pair conductor

This is thinner than Pico's standard fiberglass-insulated SE001 thermocouple, which uses a 0.3 mm conductor.

The two Type K thermocouple alloy wires form the sensing circuit from the exposed junction to the miniature connector.

The lightweight conductor construction helps maintain a compact and responsive thermocouple assembly.

PTFE Cable Insulation

The thermocouple conductors are insulated with:

• PTFE

Pico uses PTFE insulation within its thermocouple range where resistance to chemicals, oils and fluids is beneficial.

PTFE insulation can therefore be useful in laboratory and industrial test setups where the cable may be exposed to substances that are less suitable for conventional insulation materials.

The PTFE insulation does not make the exposed sensing junction chemically protected or waterproof.

Important Exposed-Tip Limitation

The sensing junction itself remains exposed.

Pico states that exposed-tip thermocouples are not suitable for corrosive or oxidizing liquids, because the thermocouple alloys are not protected by a sheath.

For applications involving aggressive liquids or permanent immersion, use an appropriately protected or waterproof probe.

This distinction is important:

• PTFE cable: offers useful resistance to chemicals, oils and fluids
• Exposed thermocouple junction: remains unprotected

1 m Cable Length

The SE000 provides:

• Cable Length: 1 m
• Approximately 3 ft

This compact length is suitable for test setups where the temperature measurement point is relatively close to the connected instrument.

Typical applications include:

• Laboratory benches
• Electronics testing
• Small environmental chambers
• Equipment monitoring
• Product-development setups
• Engineering experiments

Pico PTFE Type K Cable Range

Pico offers the same general PTFE-insulated exposed-tip Type K thermocouple construction in several cable lengths:

The appropriate version can be selected according to the required distance between the measurement point and the temperature data logger.

Molded Flat-Pin Mini-Plug

Pico specifies the connector as a:

• Molded flat-pin mini-plug

The plug provides direct connection to compatible thermocouple measurement equipment.

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

Recommended for Pico USB TC-08

Pico Technology lists SE000 as a recommended accessory for the USB TC-08 Thermocouple Data Logger.

The TC-08 supports:

• 8 thermocouple channels
• Type K thermocouples
• Built-in cold-junction compensation
• 20-bit measurement resolution
• PicoLog software
• Long-duration data logging
• Multi-channel temperature monitoring

Multiple SE000 thermocouples can therefore be connected to available TC-08 channels for simultaneous temperature measurements.

Air and Gas Temperature Measurement

The exposed sensing junction makes SE000 particularly appropriate for suitable:

• Ambient-air monitoring
• Heated-air measurements
• Cooled-air measurements
• Gas-temperature testing
• Environmental experiments
• Laboratory airflow studies

Because the sensing junction directly contacts the surrounding medium, temperature changes can be detected without the added thermal mass of a protective metal probe.

Environmental Chamber Testing

SE000 thermocouples can be positioned at several locations in a suitable environmental chamber to measure:

• Temperature uniformity
• Heating profiles
• Cooling profiles
• Temperature differences between locations
• Chamber stabilization
• Thermal gradients

The 1 m version is most suitable where cable routing distances are relatively short.

Electronics and Equipment Testing

The SE000 can also be used for general thermal testing around:

• Electronic assemblies
• Equipment enclosures
• Power supplies
• Cooling systems
• Prototypes
• Test fixtures

For surface measurements, a dedicated surface thermocouple may provide better contact with the test object.

Industry Thermocouple Tolerances

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

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

Pico's current SE000 product page does not publish a specific tolerance class or separate accuracy figure such as ±1.1 °C or ±0.4% for this individual product.

For technical accuracy, the RevineTech page should therefore use Pico's verified standards statement instead of assigning an unsupported numerical accuracy.

PTFE vs Fiberglass Insulation

Pico offers both PTFE and fiberglass-insulated Type K exposed-tip thermocouples.

The insulation should be selected according to the environment.

PTFE insulation is useful where:

• Exposure to oils is possible
• Chemical resistance is important
• Fluid resistance is required
• Temperatures remain within the SE000 specification

Fiberglass insulation may be preferred where:

• Higher cable temperatures are a concern
• Chemical or oil resistance is less important

The sensing-tip temperature range of each specific product must still be followed.

Multi-Point Temperature Logging

Using several SE000 sensors with a compatible multi-channel data logger enables:

• Temperature comparison at multiple points
• Heating and cooling profile measurement
• Environmental chamber mapping
• Equipment thermal evaluation
• Product validation
• Laboratory research

This can provide a clearer view of temperature distribution than a single measurement point.

Typical Applications

The Pico SE000 is suitable for:

• Ambient air-temperature measurement
• Gas-temperature measurement
• Laboratory temperature logging
• Environmental testing
• Electronics thermal testing
• Equipment monitoring
• Product-development measurements
• Heating and cooling experiments
• Research and development
• Engineering validation
• Multi-point temperature monitoring
• USB TC-08 data-logging systems