High Thermal Conductivity Insulators which allows Heat Transfer

When designing an insulating material, it's important to know its thermal conductivity and what factors contribute to it. In addition to other characteristics such as density, viscosity, and melting point, thermal conductivity is a significant factor in determining an insulation's ability to block heat. The higher the thermal conductivity of a material, the more easily it will transfer energy to or from its surroundings. In the context of a design, a high thermal conductivity can be desirable or undesirable depending on its application and environment.

High thermal conductivity insulators provide excellent protection against heat, which allows the materials to retain their physical properties while still allowing the heat from the source to pass through the material. This can help prevent damage to components in sensitive environments like a spacecraft during atmospheric reentry and keep the temperature of the environment stable and safe for passengers.

A material's thermal conductivity is a direct function of its temperature, with lower values occurring at cooler temperatures. For this reason, accurate measurements of a material's thermal conductivity are crucial for understanding its performance in a high temperature environment. The C-Therm MTPS sensor is capable of measuring the thermal conductivity of a variety of materials at elevated temperatures, providing fast and reliable results.

Thermal Conductivity and R-Value

The thermal conductivity of a material is the amount of energy, or heat, that can be transferred across a material per unit time at a given temperature difference. In most cases, the thermal conductivity of a material is measured at a specific temperature and can be determined by multiplying its k-value (or lambda) by its thickness in units of kcal/m2°C-1 – degC-1 or Btu/ft-2 hr-1 degF-1 – ft2.

This value provides information about the effectiveness of an insulation material to slow down the flow of heat through it. The R-value is the reciprocal of the thermal conductivity and is a measure of how well an insulation material can resist the flow of heat through it.

Thermal resistance is a result of the gaps that occur between the surfaces of materials in contact with each other, as well as the physical properties of the material itself. This is why it's important to consider both the thermal conductivity and R-value of a material when designing a composite structure.

One way to reduce the thermal resistance of a composite is by using a resin layer with a low thermal conductivity, or by bypassing the resin altogether. This can be done by reducing the thickness of the resin layer or switching to a different type of resin. For larger structures, a combination of these strategies may be necessary to achieve the desired R-value. For example, replacing dry stagnant air with water vapour or ice within an insulation cavity can increase the R-value by about 4 times. This is because the water or ice has a much lower thermal conductivity than dry stagnant air. This effect can also be achieved by placing the insulation on the surface of the component rather than inside it.