Alumel
Encyclopedia
Alumel is an alloy
consisting of approximately 95% nickel
, 2% manganese
, 2% aluminium
and 1% silicon
. This magnetic alloy is used for thermocouple
s and thermocouple extension wire. Alumel is a registered trademark of Hoskins Manufacturing Company.
Properties of Alumel:
In thermocouples, alumel is often used together with chromel
to form type K thermocouples.
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
consisting of approximately 95% nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
, 2% manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
, 2% aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
and 1% silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
. This magnetic alloy is used for thermocouple
Thermocouple
A thermocouple is a device consisting of two different conductors that produce a voltage proportional to a temperature difference between either end of the pair of conductors. Thermocouples are a widely used type of temperature sensor for measurement and control and can also be used to convert a...
s and thermocouple extension wire. Alumel is a registered trademark of Hoskins Manufacturing Company.
Properties of Alumel:
- electrical resistivity: 0.294 μΩm
- thermal conductivity: 30 W/m/K
In thermocouples, alumel is often used together with chromel
Chromel
Chromel is an alloy made of approximately 90 percent nickel and 10 percent chromium that is used to make the positive conductors of ANSI Type E and K thermocouples. It can be used up to 1100 °C in oxidizing atmospheres...
to form type K thermocouples.