Improved Temperature Oscillation Techniques for Measurements of Thermal Diffusivity and Conductivity of Insulation Materials Available to Purchase

Periodic temperature oscillations are generated at the surface of a reference layer contacting the solid slab specimen and the temperature wave propagates through the reference layer into the specimen. Measuring and evaluating the amplitude attenuation and/or the phase shift between the fundamental temperature oscillations at the surface of the specimen and at a well defined position inside the specimen enables one to determine the thermal diffusivity. Knowing the thermal diffusivity of the specimen the thermal conductivity is determined using the measured amplitude attenuation and/or the phase shift between the fundamental temperature oscillations at both the surfaces of the reference layer. With an additional measurement inside the specimen the thermal contact resistance between the surface of the reference layer and the specimen can be estimated as well.