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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Highly stable, sheathed, beryllia insulated, tungsten--rhenium alloy thermocouples

Conference ·
OSTI ID:4060225

The fabrication and performance testing of 1.6 mm diameter tantalum sheathed, beryllium oxide (BeO) insulated, W-3 percent Re/W-25 percent Re thermocouples are reported. Fully assembled thermocouples constructed from aged thermoelements, specially heat treated, sintered BeO insulators, and specially cleaned and etched tantalum sheaths were tested for 2059 h at 1800$sup 0$C in a helium environment. The measured thermal emf drifts were less than the equivalent of 1$sup 0$C per thousand hours of exposure at 1800$sup 0$C. No gross chemical attack or degradation of the component materials was evident. The fabrication techniques, thermal emf test results, and post-test analyses of the component materials are discussed. (auth)

Research Organization:
National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC; Commission of the European Communities, Petten (Netherlands). Joint Nuclear Research Center; UKAEA Research Group, Harwell. Atomic Energy Research Establishment
NSA Number:
NSA-33-022520
OSTI ID:
4060225
Report Number(s):
EUR--5395(Vol.1); CONF-741226--P1
Country of Publication:
CEC
Language:
English