Tests of the Stability of Chinese RhFe Resistance Thermometers at Low Temperatures

Abstract

Rhodium–iron resistance thermometers are recommended as precise thermometers at temperatures below 25 K. The thermometers were developed at the National Physical Laboratory and produced by H. Tinsley and Co Ltd almost 50 years ago. Later, they were made by other companies and institutes as well, but despite this, the availability of the thermometers decreased and a new source of supply was needed. Several years ago, the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (TIPC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed its own technology for making wire of Rh-0.5 at% Fe alloy which was used in the production of new thermometers. These devices have been tested previously at INRIM (Italy) and later at INTiBS (Poland). INTiBS has carried out an investigation focused on the thermometers’ stability after thermal cycling treatment. This paper presents the results of stability tests of about 30 thermometers produced by TIPC in two batches. The resistance of each thermometer was measured at temperatures of about 4.6 K and 7.2 K before and after 10, 30 and 50 thermal cycles from room temperature. The methods of measurement and the design of the cryostat used for the research are also presented.