Thermal Conductivity ASTM E1530

Scope:
Thermal conductivity values are used to measure heat flow through a material. It is the measure of resistance of materials to thermal transmission. The test method is utilized for solids of a representative thickness. Thermal conductance of films, pastes and melts can also be determined.

Test Procedure:
The thickness of the specimen is obtained using a suitable gauge. The specimen is placed in the thermal conductivity equipment at a customer specified temperature and a compressive load of 40 PSI (0.28Mpa) is applied. Thermal equilibrium is obtained. The temperature and output of the heat flux transducer is obtained and recorded. Testing is to ASTM E1530 – 06 Standard Test Method for Evaluating the Resistance to Thermal Transmission of Materials by the Guarded Heat Flow Meter Technique.

Data:
Sample Thickness, Mean Sample Temperature, Thermal Resistance and Thermal Conductivity are reported. Thickness (mm) divided by Thermal Resistance (m2·K / W) equals Thermal Conductivity (W / m·K). Thermal Resistance is the reciprocal of Thermal Conductance.

Specimen size:
For solid plastic and film materials, multiple 50.8mm diameter disks are required. The thickness range is 0.5mm to 25mm using the standard setup and below 0.5mm using thin film stacking method per ASTM E1530 Annex A1. For paste, enough paste to fill the test cell of 4 oz. is required. For melt, enough resin to fill the test cell of 4 oz. is required. 

**Please note that this test description is intentionally generic in nature and aimed at providing a descriptive summary to enhance test understanding. Standards can be obtained from appropriate standard authorities.