NTC thermistors for
inrush current limiting
Leaded and coated disks
Series/Type: B57238S0***M0**
Date: October 2013
© EPCOS AG 2015. Reproduction, publication and dissemination of this publication, enclosures hereto and the
information contained therein without EPCOS' prior express consent is prohibited.
EPCOS AG is a TDK Group Company.
Applications
Switch-mode power supplies
Soft-start motors, e.g. in vacuum cleaners
Features
Useable in series connections
up to 265 VRMS
Coated thermistor disk for line applications
Kinked leads of tinned copper wire
Wide resistance range
Manufacturer's logo, NTC and resistance value
stamped on
UL approval (E69802)
Options
Resistance tolerance <20% and alternative lead
configurations available on request
Delivery mode
Bulk (standard) or with cardboard tape on 500-mm reel
Dimensional drawing
Dimensions in mm
Approx. weight 3 g
General technical data
Climatic category (IEC 60068-1) 55/170/21
Max. power (at 25 °C) Pmax 3.9 W
Resistance tolerance RR/RR±20 %
Rated temperature TR25 °C
Dissipation factor (in air) δth approx. 20 mW/K
Thermal cooling time constant (in air) τcapprox. 80 s
Heat capacity Cth approx. 1600 mJ/K
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 2 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
1) For details on the capacitance Ctest please refer to "Application notes", chapter 1.6.
Electrical specification and ordering codes
R25
Imax
(0...65 °C)
A
Ctest1)
230 V AC
µF
Ctest1)
110 V AC
µF
Rmin
(@ Imax,25°C)
Ordering code
** = Delivery mode
00 = Bulk
51 = Reel packing
2.5 8.4 700 2800 0.054 B57238S0259M0**
3 7.4 700 2800 0.068 B57238S0309M0**
4.7 6.6 700 2800 0.090 B57238S0479M0**
5 6.4 700 2800 0.097 B57238S0509M0**
7 6.0 700 2800 0.113 B57238S0709M0**
8 5.5 700 2800 0.131 B57238S0809M0**
10 5.0 700 2800 0.160 B57238S0100M0**
15 4.4 700 2800 0.210 B57238S0150M0**
16 4.0 700 2800 0.246 B57238S0160M0**
22 4.0 700 2800 0.257 B57238S0220M0**
25 3.4 700 2800 0.339 B57238S0250M0**
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 3 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Reliability data
Test Standard Test conditions R25/R25
(typical)
Remarks
Storage in
dry heat
IEC
60068-2-2
Storage at upper
category temperature
T: 170 °C
t: 1000 h
< 20% No visible
damage
Storage in damp
heat, steady state
IEC
60068-2-78
Temperature of air: 40 °C
Relative humidity of air: 93%
Duration: 21 days
< 20% No visible
damage
Thermal schock IEC
60068-2-14
Lower test temperature: 55 °C
t: 30 min
Upper test temperature: 170 °C
t: 30 min
Time to change from lower to
upper temperature: < 30 s
Number of cycles: 10
< 20% No visible
damage
Endurance IEC
60539-1
Ambient temperature: 25 ±5°C
I=Imax
t: 1000 h
< 20% No visible
damage
Cyclic
endurance
IEC
60539-1
Ambient temperature: 25 ±5°C
I=Imax
On-time = 1 min
Cooling time = 5 min
Number of cycles: 1000
< 20% No visible
damage
Maximum
permissible
capacitance test
IEC
60539-1
Ambient temperature: 25 ±5°C
Capacitance = Ctest
Number of cycles: 1000
< 20% No visible
damage
Note
The self-heating of a thermistor during operation depends on the load applied and the
applicable dissipation factor.
When loaded with maximum allowable current/power and the specified dissipation factor is
taken as a basis, the NTC thermistor may reach a mean temperature of up to 250 °C.
The heat developed during operation will also be dissipated through the lead wires. So the
contact areas, too, may become quite hot at maximum load.
When mounting NTC thermistors you have to ensure that there is an adequate distance
between the thermistor and all parts which are sensitive to heat or combustible.
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 4 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Resistance versus temperature
S238 series
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 5 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Resistance versus current
S238 series
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 6 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Resistance versus current
S238 series
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 7 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Application notes
The following two important aspects for determining the right NTC inrush current limiter are
excerpted from the chapter "Application notes" in the "NTC Inrush Current Limiters,
Data book 2012". The complete application note can be downloaded from
www.epcos.com/ntcicl_appnotes.
1.4 Load derating
The power handling capability of an NTC thermistor cannot be fully utilized over the entire temper-
ature range. For circuit dimensioning the derating curve given below provides information on the
extent to which the current must be reduced at a certain ambient temperature (TA).
Derating curve for types S237, P11 and P13
Figure 1
TA= Ambient temperature > 25 °C
Tmax = 170 °C
Derating curve for types S153, S235, S236, S238, S364 and S464
Figure 2
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 8 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
TA= Ambient temperature > 65 °C
Tmax = 170 °C
The Imax values specified in the data sheets denote the maximum permissible continuous current
(DC or RMS values for sine-shaped AC) in the temperature range 0 °Cto65°C.
1.6 Maximum permissible capacitance
The currents during turn-on are much higher than the rated currents during continuous operation.
To test the effects of these current surges EPCOS uses the following standard procedure accord-
ing to IEC 60539-1:
Figure 3
Test circuit for evaluating the maximum permissible capacitance of an NTC thermistor
Vload Load voltage [V]
Ctest Test capacitance [µF]
RSSeries resistance [RS=1]
VNTC Voltage drop across the NTC under test [V]
The capacitor Ctest is discharged via the series resistor RSand the NTC inrush current limiter. The
load voltage is chosen such that the voltage applied to the thermistor at the start of discharge is
VNTC = 375 V (corresponds to (230 V + V) 2).
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 9 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Figure 4
Maximum permissible capacitance discharging test: typical curves
The maximum capacitances that can be switched depend on the individual thermistor type and
are given in the data sheets.
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 10 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Taping and packing
1 Taping of radial leaded ICL NTC thermistors according to the
specified lead spacing
Dimensions and tolerances
Lead spacing F = 5.0 mm (taping to IEC 60286-2)
for the following types: S153, S235 and S236
Lead spacing F = 7.5 mm (taping based on IEC 60286-2)
for the following types: P11, P13, S237, S238 and S364
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 11 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Dimensions (mm)
Lead
spacing
5 mm
Tolerance of
lead spacing
5 mm
Lead
spacing
7.5 mm
Tolerance of
lead spacing
7.5 mm
Remarks
w12.0 12.0 please refer to dimensional
drawings
th 6.0 max. 7 max. please refer to dimensional
drawings
d 0.5/0.6 ±0.05 0.8/1.0 ±0.05 please refer to dimensional
drawings
P012.7 ±0.3 12.7 ±0.3 ±1 mm / 20 sprocket holes
P13.85 ±0.7 8.95 ±0.8
F 5.0 +0.6/0.1 7.5 ±0.8
h 0 ±2.0 0 Depends on th measured at top
of component body
p 0 ±1.3 0 ±2.0
W 18.0 ±0.5 18.0 ±0.5
W05.5 min. 11.0 min. peel-off force 5 N
W19.0 +0.75/0.5 9.0 +0.75/0.5
W23.0 max. 3.0 max.
H 18.0 +2.0/0 18.0 +2.0/0 applies only to uncrimped
types
H016.0 ±0.5 16.0 ±0.5 applies only to crimped types
H132.2 max. 45.0 max.
D04.0 ±0.2 4.0 ±0.2
t 0.9 max. 0.9 max. without wires
L 11.0 max. 11.0 max.
L14.0 max. 4.0 max.
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 12 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Types of packing
Reel packing
Reel dimensions (in mm)
Reel type Series pcs. per reel d f n w
I S153, S235 1500 360 max. 31 ±1 approx. 45 54 max.
I S236 1000 360 max. 31 ±1 approx. 45 54 max.
II P11, P13 1500 500 max. 23 ±1 approx. 59 72 max.
II S237, S238, S364 1000 500 max. 23 ±1 approx. 59 72 max.
Bulk packing
The components are packed in cardboard boxes, the size of which depends on the order quantity.
Type S464 is only available as bulk.
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 13 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Mounting instructions
1 Soldering
1.1 Leaded NTC thermistors
Leaded thermistors comply with the solderability requirements specified by CECC.
When soldering, care must be taken that the NTC thermistors are not damaged by excessive
heat. The following maximum temperatures, maximum time spans and minimum distances have
to be observed:
Dip soldering Iron soldering
Bath temperature max. 260 °C max. 360 °C
Soldering time max. 4 s max. 2 s
Distance from thermistor min. 6 mm min. 6 mm
Under more severe soldering conditions the resistance may change.
Solderability (test to IEC 60068-2-20)
Preconditioning: Immersion into flux F-SW 32.
Evaluation criterion: Wetting of soldering areas 95%.
Solder Bath temperature (°C) Dwell time (s)
SnAg (3.0 ... 4.0), Cu (0.5 ... 0.9) 245 ±3 3
1.1.1 Resistance to soldering heat (test to IEC 60068-2-20)
Preconditioning: Immersion into flux F-SW 32.
Solder Bath temperature (°C) Dwell time (s)
SnAg (3.0 ... 4.0), Cu (0.5 ... 0.9) 260 5 10
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 14 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
1.1.2 Wave soldering
Temperature characteristic at component terminal with dual wave soldering
2 Robustness of terminations
The leads meet the requirements of IEC 60068-2-21. They may not be bent closer than 4 mm
from the solder joint on the thermistor body or from the point at which they leave the feed-
throughs. During bending, any mechanical stress at the outlet of the leads must be removed. The
bending radius should be at least 0.75 mm.
Tensile strength: Test Ua1:
Leads 0.50 < 0.80 mm = 10.0 N
0.80 < 1.25 mm = 20.0 N
Bending strength: Test Ub:
Two 90°-bends in opposite directions at a weight of 0.25 kg.
Torsional strength: Test Uc: severity 2
The lead is bent by 90°at a distance of 6 to 6.5 mm from the thermistor body.
The bending radius of the leads should be approx. 0.75 mm. Two torsions of
180°each (severity 2).
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 15 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
When subjecting leads to mechanical stress, the following should be observed:
Tensile stress on leads
During mounting and operation tensile forces on the leads are to be avoided.
Bending of leads
Bending of the leads directly on the thermistor body is not permissible.
A lead may be bent at a minimum distance of twice the wire's diameter +2 mm from the solder
joint on the thermistor body. During bending the wire must be mechanically relieved at its outlet.
The bending radius should be at least 0.75 mm.
Twisting of leads
The twisting (torsion) by 180°of a lead bent by 90°is permissible at 6 mm from the bottom of the
thermistor body.
3 Sealing and potting
When thermistors are sealed, potted or overmolded, there must be no mechanical stress caused
by thermal expansion during the production process (curing / overmolding process) and during
later operation. The upper category temperature of the thermistor must not be exceeded. Ensure
that the materials used (sealing / potting compound and plastic material) are chemically neutral.
4 Cleaning
If cleaning is necessary, mild cleaning agents such as ethyl alcohol and cleaning gasoline are
recommended. Cleaning agents based on water are not allowed. Ultrasonic cleaning methods are
permissible.
5 Storage
In order to maintain their solderability, thermistors must be stored in a non-corrosive atmosphere.
Humidity, temperature and container materials are critical factors.
The components should be left in the original packing. Touching the metallization of unsoldered
thermistors may change their soldering properties.
Storage temperature: 25 °Cupto45°C
Max. relative humidity (without condensation):
<95%, maximum 30 days per annum
Solder the thermistors listed in this data book after shipment from EPCOS within the time speci-
fied:
Leaded components: 24 months
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 16 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Cautions and warnings
General
See "Important notes" on the last page.
Storage
Store thermistors only in original packaging. Do not open the package before storage.
Storage conditions in original packaging: storage temperature 25 °C ... +45 °C, relative
humidity 75% annual mean, maximum 95%, dew precipitation is inadmissible.
Avoid contamination of thermistors surface during storage, handling and processing.
Avoid storage of thermistor in harmful environments like corrosive gases (SOx, Cl etc).
Solder thermistors after shipment from EPCOS within the time specified:
Leaded components: 24 months
Handling
NTC inrush current limiters must not be dropped. Chip-offs must not be caused during handling
of NTC inrush current limiters.
Components must not be touched with bare hands. Gloves are recommended.
Avoid contamination of thermistor surface during handling.
In case of exposure of the NTC inrush current limiters to water, electrolytes or other aggressive
media, these media can penetrate the coating and reach the surface of the ceramic. Low-ohmic
or high-ohmic behavior may occur due to the formation of an electrolyte with metals
(silver/lead/tin from metallization or solder). Low-ohmic behavior is caused by electrochemical
migration, high-ohmic behavior by dissolving of the electrode. In either case, the functionality of
the NTC inrush current limiters can not be assured.
Washing processes may damage the product due to the possible static or cyclic mechanical
loads (e.g. ultrasonic cleaning). They may cause cracks to develop on the product and its parts,
which might lead to reduced reliability or lifetime.
Bending / twisting leads
A lead (wire) may be bent at a minimum distance of twice the wire’s diameter plus 4 mm from
the component head or housing. When bending ensure the wire is mechanically relieved at the
component head or housing. The bending radius should be at least 0.75 mm.
Twisting (torsion) by 180°of a lead bent by 90°is permissible at 6 mm from the bottom of the
thermistor body.
Soldering
Use resin-type flux or non-activated flux.
Insufficient preheating may cause ceramic cracks.
Rapid cooling by dipping in solvent is not recommended.
Complete removal of flux is recommended.
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 17 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Mounting
When NTC inrush current limiters are encapsulated with sealing material or overmolded with
plastic material, the precautions given in chapter “Mounting instructions”, “Sealing and potting”
must be observed.
Electrode must not be scratched before/during/after the mounting process.
Contacts and housings used for assembly with thermistor have to be clean before mounting.
During operation, the inrush current limiters surface temperature can be very high. Ensure that
adjacent components are placed at a sufficient distance from the thermistor to allow for proper
cooling of the NTC inrush current limiters.
Ensure that adjacent materials are designed for operation at temperatures comparable to the
surface temperature of the thermistor. Be sure that surrounding parts and materials can
withstand this temperature.
Make sure that inrush current limiters are adequately ventilated to avoid overheating.
Avoid contamination of thermistor surface during processing.
Operation
Use NTC inrush current limiters only within the specified operating temperature range.
Use NTC inrush current limiters only within the specified voltage and current ranges.
Environmental conditions must not harm the NTC inrush current limiters. Use NTC inrush
current limiters only in normal atmospheric conditions.
Contact of NTC inrush current limiters with any liquids and solvents should be prevented. It
must be ensured that no water enters the NTC inrush current limiters (e.g. through plug
terminals). For measurement purposes (checking the specified resistance vs. temperature), the
component must not be immersed in water but in suitable liquids (e.g. Galden).
In case of exposure of the NTC inrush current limiters to water, electrolytes or other aggressive
media, these media can penetrate the coating and reach the surface of the ceramic. Low-ohmic
or high-ohmic behavior may occur due to the formation of an electrolyte with metals
(silver/lead/tin from metallization or solder). Low-ohmic behavior is caused by electrochemical
migration, high-ohmic behavior by dissolving of the electrode. In either case, the functionality of
the NTC inrush current limiters can not be assured.
Be sure to provide an appropriate fail-safe function to prevent secondary product damage
caused by malfunction (e.g. use a metal oxide varistor for limitation of overvoltage condition).
This listing does not claim to be complete, but merely reflects the experience of EPCOS AG.
Display of ordering codes for EPCOS products
The ordering code for one and the same EPCOS product can be represented differently in data
sheets, data books, other publications, on the EPCOS website, or in order-related documents
such as shipping notes, order confirmations and product labels. The varying representations of
the ordering codes are due to different processes employed and do not affect the
specifications of the respective products. Detailed information can be found on the Internet
under www.epcos.com/orderingcodes
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 18 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
Symbols and terms
Symbol English
B B value
Ctest Test capacitance
Cth Heat capacitance
I Current
Imax Maximum current within stated temperature range
INTC NTC current
Pmax Maximum power within stated temperature range
Rmin Minimum resistance
RRRated resistance
RR/RRResistance tolerance
RSSeries resistance
RTResistance at temperature T
(e.g. R25 = resistance at 25 °C)
T Temperature
t Time
TAAmbient temperature
taThermal threshold time
Tmax Upper category temperature
Tmin Lower category temperature
TRRated temperature
V Voltage
Vload Load voltage
VNTC Voltage drop across an NTC thermistor
αTemperature coefficient
Tolerance, change
δth Dissipation factor
τcThermal cooling time constant
Abbreviations / Notes
Symbol English
* To be replaced by a number in ordering codes, type designations etc.
+ To be replaced by a letter.
All dimensions are given in mm.
The commas used in numerical values denote decimal points.
Inrush current limiters B57238S0***M0**
ICLs S238
Page 19 of 20Please read Cautions and warnings and
Important notes at the end of this document.
The following applies to all products named in this publication:
1. Some parts of this publication contain statements about the suitability of our products for
certain areas of application. These statements are based on our knowledge of typical re-
quirements that are often placed on our products in the areas of application concerned. We
nevertheless expressly point out that such statements cannot be regarded as binding
statements about the suitability of our products for a particular customer application.
As a rule, EPCOS is either unfamiliar with individual customer applications or less familiar
with them than the customers themselves. For these reasons, it is always ultimately incum-
bent on the customer to check and decide whether an EPCOS product with the properties de-
scribed in the product specification is suitable for use in a particular customer application.
2. We also point out that in individual cases, a malfunction of electronic components or
failure before the end of their usual service life cannot be completely ruled out in the
current state of the art, even if they are operated as specified. In customer applications
requiring a very high level of operational safety and especially in customer applications in
which the malfunction or failure of an electronic component could endanger human life or
health (e.g. in accident prevention or lifesaving systems), it must therefore be ensured by
means of suitable design of the customer application or other action taken by the customer
(e.g. installation of protective circuitry or redundancy) that no injury or damage is sustained by
third parties in the event of malfunction or failure of an electronic component.
3. The warnings, cautions and product-specific notes must be observed.
4. In order to satisfy certain technical requirements, some of the products described in this
publication may contain substances subject to restrictions in certain jurisdictions (e.g.
because they are classed as hazardous). Useful information on this will be found in our Ma-
terial Data Sheets on the Internet (www.epcos.com/material). Should you have any more de-
tailed questions, please contact our sales offices.
5. We constantly strive to improve our products. Consequently, the products described in this
publication may change from time to time. The same is true of the corresponding product
specifications. Please check therefore to what extent product descriptions and specifications
contained in this publication are still applicable before or when you place an order. We also
reserve the right to discontinue production and delivery of products. Consequently, we
cannot guarantee that all products named in this publication will always be available. The
aforementioned does not apply in the case of individual agreements deviating from the fore-
going for customer-specific products.
6. Unless otherwise agreed in individual contracts, all orders are subject to the current ver-
sion of the "General Terms of Delivery for Products and Services in the Electrical In-
dustry" published by the German Electrical and Electronics Industry Association
(ZVEI).
7. The trade names EPCOS, BAOKE, Alu-X, CeraDiode, CeraLink, CeraPlas, CSMP, CSSP,
CTVS, DeltaCap, DigiSiMic, DSSP, FilterCap, FormFit, MiniBlue, MiniCell, MKD, MKK,
MLSC, MotorCap, PCC, PhaseCap, PhaseCube, PhaseMod, PhiCap, SIFERRIT, SIFI,
SIKOREL, SilverCap, SIMDAD, SiMic, SIMID, SineFormer, SIOV, SIP5D, SIP5K,
ThermoFuse, WindCap are trademarks registered or pending in Europe and in other coun-
tries. Further information will be found on the Internet at www.epcos.com/trademarks.
Important notes
Page 20 of 20