Work

A thermo-optical plane source method to measure thermal conductivity

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We demonstrate a Thermo-Optical Plane Source (TOPS) technique to measure the thermal conductivity of materials. This high-throughput method measures the thermal conductivity of materials with minimal sample preparation and limited restrictions on sample shape and geometry. Moreover, the technique is applied to solids, liquids, gels, and pastes with no change in implementation. The TOPS technique uses laser heating to induce a steady-state temperature rise in a material and infrared thermography to measure the corresponding temperature rise. Fourier's law is applied to directly measure thermal conductivity, rather than thermal diffusivity or effusivity, eliminating the need for prior knowledge of density and specific heat. We demonstrate the ability to measure thermal conductivities ranging from 0.03 to 60 Wm-1 K-1 at room temperature.

Source: Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI: 10.1063/5.0267492

Authors: Jeffrey L. Braun, Bryan N. Baines, John T. Gaskins, Patrick E. Hopkins

Institution: University of Virginia

Language: English

Topic: Thermal properties of materials

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Office of Naval Research

Award: G2658821839