RFID Journal Staff asked 12 years ago I am an engineering doctoral student at Swansea University, and am working on a research project for Tata Steel Port Talbot. I was wondering whether there are any passive RFID tags on the market that could withstand temperatures of up to 1,800 degrees Celsius (3,272 degrees Fahrenheit), as well as thermal cycling from room temperature up to that heat level? If so, what shape and size would it need to be?
—Szymon Kubal
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Dear Szymon,
To answer your question, I reached out to Patrick King, the founder of Technologies ROI (TROI), a provider of heat-resistant and durable tags. Pat says there are currently no tags on the market that can withstand 1,800 degrees Celsius.
"For the moment," Pat states, "TROI's direct-mounted tags are certified to 300 degrees Celsius (572 degrees Fahrenheit). We will soon be releasing a new tag that can withstand up to 400 degrees Celsius (752 degrees Fahrenheit). If the steelmaker can provide even a short distance between the heat source and the tag, then 400 degrees might work. The temperature falls off faster than most people can believe. I have a customer, for example, that has smelting ladles, and the core heat is 760 degrees Celsius (1,400 degrees Fahrenheit), but just a few inches from the source, the temperature falls to 370 degrees Celsius (700 degrees Fahrenheit), which is safe for current TROI tags."
Pat says he could develop a custom tag to meet your needs, but notes that "it would not be small—and it would be expensive."
—Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal
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