Platinum Resistance Thermometers

Extensive Range of Platinum Resistance Thermometer (RTD)

A platinum RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector) with a resistance of 100 ohms at 0°C which changes with temperature. They are suitable for applications in the temperature range of -200°C to 600°C but are more commonly used in the range -50°C to +250°C. These temperature sensors are reliable and can offer a higher degree of accuracy.

To find out more about how Platinum Resistance Thermometers work scroll down the page for more details.

Custom built rtd

Plain stem with pot seal and cable

Plastics RTDs

Fixed Process Thread RTDs

HVAC & Air Temperature Sensors

Mineral Insulated with pot seal & cable, connector or head

Surface RTDs

Bearing RTDs

Autoclave RTDs

Our Resistance Thermometers

Below you’ll find our range of platinum resistance thermometers. Click on each one or contact us for more details.

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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

RTD Pt100 Temperature Sensor – IP68 KNE Terminal Head – 4-20mA Transmitter – PPL3-P

£72.85 – £76.05
PRT Air Temperature Sensor, Pt100, RTD temperature sensor
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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

PRT Air Temperature Sensor – PPL9-P

£15.00
PPL8-P temperature probe white
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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

PRT with Pocket and Insert – PPL8-P

PPL6 hygienic temperature probe white
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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

RTD with Hygienic Sanitary Connection – PPL6-P

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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

RTD Probe with Fixed Process Connection – PPL2-P

£29.50 – £33.50
PPL10-P Rugged Outside Air Temperature Sensor
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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

RTD for Ambient Air – PPL10-P

£59.00 – £98.50
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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

PRT Process Connection Thread and Terminal Head – PPL4-P

£43.50 – £86.70
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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

Mineral Insulated PRT with Terminal Head – PPL15-P

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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

Mineral Insulated RTD Probe – PPL13-P

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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

RTD Probe with Fixed Process Thread and Cooling Neck – PPL5-P

£49.50 – £92.70
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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

High Accuracy RTD Pt100 Temperature Sensor – 4 wire 1/10 DIN – PPL1-P

£62.50 – £64.50
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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

RTD Pt100 Temperature Sensor with PTFE flying lead – PPL1-P

£20.95 – £27.75
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Pt100 Temperature Sensors

Industrial RTD Pt100 Temperature Sensor with KNE Terminal Head – PPL3 RTD Sensor

£32.85 – £36.05

What are the different types of platinum resistance thermometers?

Most users of temperature probes will be familiar with some of the terminology. There are standard values for these types of sensors, but what do they mean?

Pt is the chemical symbol for Platinum and denotes its use in the sensor. Other sensors may use Cu (copper) or Ni (Nickel) accordingly.

The number relates to the resistance value at 0°C. So a Pt500 probe will have a resistance of 500Ω at °C, and it follows that a Pt1000 RTD will be 1000Ω at 0°C.

How it works

How do resistance thermometers work?

As the temperature in your application changes then the electrical resistance will also change. An increase in temperature will increase the resistance of the temperature sensor.

The measurement is completed by your instrument by applying a small measurement voltage and utilising a bridge type circuit.

Interchangeability

Are RTDs interchangeable?

Yes. All sensors manufactured by Process Parameters Ltd conform to the relevant British and International standards that apply. In the case of Platinum Resistance Thermometers we apply BS EN 60751 which covers the characteristics, accuracy and colour coding systems used. This means that you can take a Pt100 and replace it with another and it will simply work, there is no need for any configuration. In some applications there is a requirement for a procedural calibration check.

RTD Sensor vs Thermocouple

Resistance Temperature Sensor or Thermocouple?

Thermocouples are made with two dissimilar metals or conductors where a temperature difference between the hot and cold junctions (join) of the thermocouple generates a small voltage signal which changes with temperature. They are best suited to elevated temperatures (up to 1700°C) or very low temperatures (down to -200°C) and are also ideal where there is any vibration.  If you need a fast response temperature sensor we recommend the use of thermocouples.

Accuracy

How accurate are RTDs?

Part of the standard that we operate to governs accuracy.

First of all there are five accuracy bands; Class B, Class A, 1/3 DIN, 1/5 DIN and 1/10 DIN. Class B is the least accurate, 1/10 DIN is the most accurate. The table below gives the accuracy for each tolerance band at different temperatures. Note that accuracy is best for all classes at 0°C and worsens for increasing and decreasing temperature.

The next thing to consider is the probe immersion. It is extremely important to ensure that your RTD is completely immersed to ensure that accuracy is maintained. Incomplete immersion can introduce measurement errors due to stem conduction.

Finally, it is also important to consider the wiring system utilised in the sensor. For the lower accuracy sensors it is quite acceptable to use a 3 or even a 2 wire system but for the higher accuracy 1/5 DIN and 1/10 DIN types we strongly recommend a 4 wire system. See below for more information.

There is a myth that PRTs are always more accurate than thermocouples but this is not necessarily the case. Take a Class B Pt100 operating at 300°C, it should be accurate to ±1.8°C. A type K thermocouple however will have an accuracy of ±1.5°C at the same temperature. There are other factors to consider but it should not be assumed that PRTs are “best”.

Tolerance for Pt100 to BS EN 60751
Resistance change

What is meant by 2 wire, 3 wire and 4 wire?

The resistance change of a Pt100 sensor is just 0.385Ω per 1°C temperature change so it is easy to see that errors can be introduced fairly easily.

When using a Resistance Thermometer you clearly need to be able to connect it to your instrumentation which involves using a cable. The simplest way is to use a 2 core cable, but this introduces additional resistance into the measurement circuit and therefore potentially large measurement errors. In general therefore we sell the majority of our PRTs with either a 3 wire or 4 wire configuration. The addition of the third and fourth wires allows your instrumentation to compensate for the resistance of the extension cabling and negate most or all of the effects of this ensuring you get the most accurate measurement.

Note that you can use copper based cables with PRTs. You do not need special cables as with Thermocouples.

Colour Code

Wiring Colour Codes

BS EN 60751 also specified the colour coding used for the wiring of PRTs and is extremely simple. See the chart below for wiring colour coding for each wiring system.

Process Parameters 2 wire Pt100 Wiring diagram
3 wire Pt100 diagram
4 wire Pt100 diagram
Temperature Range

What temperature range are PRTs suitable for?

Many measuring instruments will often quote a measuring range of up to 850°C but, this is extremely optimistic for an industrial PRT.

The maximum range we recommend for an industrial PRT is -200 to +650°C but this is very much dependent on the construction and materials used in the assembly.