What is a Mineral Insulated cable?
Mineral Insulated cables, in short MI Cable, are also sometimes called ‘metal mineral insulated metal sheathed’ (MIMS) cable or MICC. The acronym MICC stands for Mineral Insulated Copper Cable.
A mineral insulated thermocouple cable consists of two conductors (sometimes even four or six) of dissimilar metals. These conductors are joined on one side on which temperature should be measured (hot junction). When properly joined, a voltage is produced that can be read to determine temperature. The dissimilar metals are insulated with high quality magnesium oxide and covered with a corrosion resistant sheath material, such as Inconel or Stainless steel. Discover all the available types of sheath material here.
Kamet provides, both Mineral insulated thermocouple cables, Mineral insulated RTD cables, and mineral insulated heating cables.
What is the purpose of an MI thermocouple cable?
Mineral insulated thermocouple cables can provide stable and fast temperature measurement readings and are often used for high temperatures (up to 1250⁰C) in hazardous environments. The purpose of the mineral insulation (MgO) is to provide better insulation resistance at high temperatures.
What is the purpose of an MI RTD cable over thermocouple cable?
RTD Cable in contrast to thermocouple (TC) cable are limited to a maximum temperature of 500°C. Thermocouple cable can go up to 1500°C. RTD sensors however are superior to thermocouples in that their readings are more accurate and they produce more stable readings over a longer period of time.
Advantages of mineral insulated thermocouple cables over other conventional thermocouple cables
- Wide temperature range
The Okazaki MI thermocouple cables Kamet supplies, can be used for a wide temperature range from -269°C to 1,260°C. Conventional thermocouple cables have a much smaller temperature range. An even broader temperature range can be achieved by our high temperature thermocouples, produced by ARi Industries.
- Excellent uniformity
Okazaki manufactures long MI cables with inorganic insulators that are solidly packed with a specific unique technology.
- Easy handling
The MI thermocouple cables have a bending radius of at least 2 times longer than the outer diameter of the MI cable. This way, the MI cables can be easily installed at various sites with bends. The cables can be wound in coils easily.
- Longer product life time
Due to the insulation of chemically stable material Magnesium Oxide, the MI cables have much longer life times than conventional cables. Due to the compact structure of the insulation, the thermocouple wires are airtight, resulting in a longer life time as well. Furthermore, the outer sheath material is designed to survive in hazardous environments.
- Mechanical strength
The Okazaki MI cables can be used at the most demanding environments. The outer sheath & compact magnesium oxide insulation provides protection for corrosive atmospheres and vibration.
- Insulation material
Okazaki uses magnesium oxides for the standard MI cables. However, we can also supply aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) for special purposes.
Read about the production and calibration here.
Via our product page you can learn more about the different thermocouple types of MI cable.
