Thermal conductivity

The thermal conductivity, λ, is the quantity of heat transmitted, due to unit temperature gradient, in unit time under steady conditions in a direction normal to a surface of unit area, when the heat transfer is dependent only on the temperature gradient [Ref. 2].

Image showing periodicity of the chemical elements for thermal conductivity in a periodic table cityscape style.
Image showing periodicity of the chemical elements for thermal conductivity in a periodic table cityscape style.
Image showing periodicity of the chemical elements for thermal conductivity in a periodic table heatscape style.
Image showing periodicity of the chemical elements for thermal conductivity in a periodic table heatscape style.
Image showing periodicity of the chemical elements for thermal conductivity in a spiral periodic table heatscape style.
Image showing periodicity of the chemical elements for thermal conductivity in a spiral periodic table heatscape style.
Image showing periodicity of the chemical elements for thermal conductivity in a 3D spiral periodic table column style.
Image showing periodicity of the chemical elements for thermal conductivity in a 3D spiral periodic table column style.
Image showing periodicity of the chemical elements for thermal conductivity in a 3D periodic table column style.
Image showing periodicity of the chemical elements for thermal conductivity in a 3D periodic table column style.

Units

W m-1 K-1

Notes

Values are given at 25&176;C. To convert to W cm-1 K-1, divide by 100.

Values are temperature dependent. Thermal conductivity tends to fall with decreasing purity.

Literature sources

  1. G.W.C. Kaye and T.H. Laby in Tables of physical and chemical constants, Longman, London, UK, 15th edition, 1993.
  2. D.R. Lide, (Ed.) in Chemical Rubber Company handbook of chemistry and physics, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 79th edition, 1998.
  3. J.A. Dean (ed) in Lange's Handbook of Chemistry, McGraw-Hill, New York, USA, 14th edition, 1992.
  4. A.M. James and M.P. Lord in Macmillan's Chemical and Physical Data, Macmillan, London, UK, 1992.
Explore the element of your choice through this periodic table.
1 2   3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
1
H
2
He
3
Li
4
Be
5
B
6
C
7
N
8
O
9
F
10
Ne
11
Na
12
Mg
13
Al
14
Si
15
P
16
S
17
Cl
18
Ar
19
K
20
Ca
21
Sc
22
Ti
23
V
24
Cr
25
Mn
26
Fe
27
Co
28
Ni
29
Cu
30
Zn
31
Ga
32
Ge
33
As
34
Se
35
Br
36
Kr
37
Rb
38
Sr
39
Y
40
Zr
41
Nb
42
Mo
43
Tc
44
Ru
45
Rh
46
Pd
47
Ag
48
Cd
49
In
50
Sn
51
Sb
52
Te
53
I
54
Xe
55
Cs
56
Ba
 *
71
Lu
72
Hf
73
Ta
74
W
75
Re
76
Os
77
Ir
78
Pt
79
Au
80
Hg
81
Tl
82
Pb
83
Bi
84
Po
85
At
86
Rn
87
Fr
88
Ra
 **
103
Lr
104
Rf
105
Db
106
Sg
107
Bh
108
Hs
109
Mt
110
Ds
111
Rg
112
Cn
113
Nh
114
Fl
115
Mc
116
Lv
117
Ts
118
Og
 
*Lanthanoids *
57
La
58
Ce
59
Pr
60
Nd
61
Pm
62
Sm
63
Eu
64
Gd
65
Tb
66
Dy
67
Ho
68
Er
69
Tm
70
Yb
**Actinoids **
89
Ac
90
Th
91
Pa
92
U
93
Np
94
Pu
95
Am
96
Cm
97
Bk
98
Cf
99
Es
100
Fm
101
Md
102
No