Development of Reference Materials for Thermal-Diffusivity Measurements by the Flash Method

The thermal conductivity of solid materials used for thermal simulations and thermal designs can be obtained as the product of thermal diffusivity, specific heat capacity, and bulk density in many cases. The thermal diffusivity is usually measured by the flash method, and the specific heat capacity is usually measured by differential scanning calorimetry. In order to obtain reliable thermal conductivities for strict thermal design, it is necessary to measure the thermal diffusivity using the flash method, a well-validated apparatus. Reference materials are an effective means for validation of most practical measurement apparatus. For the flash method, isotropic graphite was selected as a candidate reference material. A batch of isotropic graphite samples was prepared and characterized in detail in order to be a certified reference material for thermal-diffusivity measurement. The detailed characterization ensures the traceability of the measurement results to the international system of units (SI). A convenient reference material for thermal conductivity was also obtained by using the known thermal-diffusivity measurements, specific heat capacity, and density of the material.