Thermal Conductivity of Materials Thermal conductivity is an important property of materials that no engineer or physicist can ignore. It deals with the measure of the ability of materials to conduct heat, expressed in watts per meter degree kelvin (W/mK).
Thermal conductivity is a crucial parameter when it comes to the manufacture and selection of materials. Different materials have different thermal conductivities, and material selection can affect efficiency, performance, durability, and even safety of a part or system. Moreover, the field of thermal management has evolved keep up with the ever growing demand for high-powered and high-reliability electronics in industries such as aerospace, defense, and automobile.
Materials with high thermal conductivities are very important for heat transfer applications. Different applications require different materials depending on a host of parameters such as temperature, cost, defect concentrations, flammability, gravimetric or volumetric thermal efficiency, etc. Some materials are great conductors of heat, whereas others are insulators, meaning they have low thermal conductivity.
Metals such as gold, silver, and copper are great conductors of heat, with gold having the highest thermal conductivity of about 323 W/mK. Steel, aluminum, and titanium also have extremely high thermal conductivity, with titanium having the highest of all among the metals at around 21 W/mK.
Thermal insulation materials can reduce heat transfer, and are widely used in industries, building and construction, personal protective equipment, and thermal management applications. Generally, the thermal insulation materials can be grouped into two categories, natural and synthetic. Natural materials, such as wood and wick, have good insulating properties along with low costs and can be used in a wide range of applications. Synthetic materials, on the other hand, have high thermal conductives, and include plastics, foams, and ceramics.
It is important to consider other parameters such as temperature, thickness, and density of the material when evaluating thermal conductivity. This is because the thermal conductivity of a material is dependent on the arrangement of its molecules, and changing the arrangement of the molecules can alter the thermal properties of the material.
Thus, it is important to understand the thermal properties of a material before it is used in an application. Understanding the thermal properties of a material can help to determine the best material to use for a particular application. Furthermore, understanding these properties can help to analyze design and production operations, and ensure that the material is performing in the most efficient manner.
