Rolla, Missouri — Fiber Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing

Distributed Fiber Optic Temperature Sensing for High-Temperature Materials Research

See the temperature profile inside the material, not just a number at one point.

Calornet builds ultra-high-temperature distributed temperature sensing for labs studying material synthesis, crystallization, and critical minerals. One fiber, in contact with the sample, resolves the full thermal profile across every phase as it forms.

fiber position → sample length melt onset liquidus recalescence (crystallization) solidus
001 — single fiber, thousands of sensing points, one measurement pass in-contact sensing — not line-of-sight
Who we work with

Built for the groups pushing materials to their thermal limits

If your work depends on knowing what is happening thermally inside a sample as it transforms — not just a surface reading — this is built for your experiment.

University labs

High-temperature materials groups

Departments studying ultra-high-temperature ceramics, refractory alloys, and phase transformation behavior who need thermal data that matches the resolution of their microstructural work.

Research companies

Critical minerals & processing

Teams developing extraction, refining, or synthesis routes for critical minerals, where knowing the real thermal profile through a reactor or crucible changes process decisions.

Crystal growth

Crystallization & synthesis labs

Groups growing or synthesizing crystals and advanced ceramics who need to resolve solidus, liquidus, and recalescence events along a sample, not just at one probe location.

The technology

Distributed, in-contact, and built for extremes

Traditional thermocouples give you one point. Pyrometers give you a surface, and only if you know the emissivity. Our fiber gives you a continuous profile, in contact with the material, through the phase change itself.

Method Measurement Contact Limitation
Thermocouple Single point Direct contact No spatial profile; drift and degradation at extreme temperatures
Pyrometer Surface, single or few points Line-of-sight, no contact Intensity-based; needs known emissivity, blocked by smoke, dust, or geometry
Calornet fiber DTS Continuous profile, thousands of points In contact with the material Resolves phase-by-phase behavior along the full sample or reactor length
How it works

From fiber to phase-resolved profile

01

Fiber embedded or routed in contact

A single optical fiber is placed in direct contact with the material or reactor, following the path where thermal behavior matters most.

02

Backscatter signal captured along its length

We interrogate the fiber and capture temperature-dependent backscatter at thousands of points along its length, in a single measurement pass.

03

Distributed profile, resolved by phase

The result is a continuous temperature profile that reveals melt onset, liquidus, recalescence, and solidus behavior across the sample — not just at one probe.

Applications

Where a distributed profile changes what you can see

About Calornet

A specialized firm, built around one hard measurement problem

Calornet LLC is a scientific consulting and technology firm based in Rolla, Missouri. We work directly with university research groups and research-driven companies to bring distributed, in-contact temperature sensing to experiments where traditional instrumentation runs out of resolution — or runs out of temperature range.

  • Based inRolla, Missouri
  • FocusFiber optic distributed temperature sensing
  • Also offersMaterial characterization services
  • Primary customersUniversities & research companies
  • Research areas servedMaterials, crystallization, critical minerals
FAQ

Common questions about distributed fiber optic temperature sensing

What is Distributed Fiber Optic Temperature Sensing?

It's a measurement technique that uses a single optical fiber, placed in contact with a material or reactor, to resolve temperature continuously at thousands of points along its length in one measurement pass — rather than at one spot, as with a thermocouple.

Why use optical fibers instead of thermocouples?

A thermocouple reports temperature at a single junction. A distributed fiber captures the full thermal profile across a sample or reactor length, revealing melt onset, liquidus, recalescence, and solidus behavior that point sensors simply can't see.

What temperature range can the system measure?

Our systems are built for ultra-high-temperature research: material synthesis, crystallization, and critical mineral processing. Talk to us about your specific temperature range and sample geometry.

Which industries and research areas benefit from DTS?

University labs and research-driven companies working in ultra-high-temperature ceramic synthesis, critical mineral extraction and refining, crystal growth and solidification studies, refractory alloy development, and additive manufacturing.

Can the sensing fiber survive harsh, high-temperature environments?

Yes — the fiber is designed for direct, in-contact placement in demanding thermal environments where thermocouples and pyrometers lose accuracy, run out of range, or are blocked by smoke, dust, or geometry.

Get in touch

Tell us about the experiment you're trying to see inside of

Reach out directly — we typically start with a short conversation about your sample, temperature range, and what your current instrumentation isn't showing you.

Email us

Where we're based

Rolla, Missouri — home to one of the country's leading materials science research communities.

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