TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT FOR LARGE SAMPLE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT OF REFRACTORY CERAMICS

Abstract

A method has been developed to utilize the High Intensity Infrared lamp located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the measurement of thermal conductivity of bulk refractory materials at elevated temperatures. Current evaluation of thermal conductivity of refractory materials at elevated temperatures is limited to small sample sizes (laser flash) or antiquated methods (hot wire, guarded hot plate) which have their own inherent problems. A new method, based on the theory of the laser flash method, but capable of measuring samples on the order of 200 x 250 x 50 mm has been developed. Additionally, preliminary results have been achieved and testing is being performed to validate the method.