20PEB224

Heat and Mass

Transfer
Course Coordinator
Dr. R. Balasubramanian
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 Thermal Conductivity
• Thermal conductivity is the ability of a given material to
conduct or transfer heat.
• Thermal conductivity is the quantity of heat passing through
a quantity of material of unit thickness with unit heat flow
area in unit time when a unit temperature difference is
maintained across the opposite faces of material.

• It is generally denoted by the symbol ‘k’ and Unit is (W/mK)

• Materials with high thermal conductivity are used in heat
sinks, on the other hand, materials with low values of k used
as thermal insulators.
 Factors affecting thermal
conductivity
Thermal conductivity in materials depends on
following factors:
the
(i) The temperature difference (aө) between
the ends of the conductor.
(Ii) The length of the conductor (l).
(Iii) The cross-section area(a) of the conductor.
(Iv) The nature of the material (k).
Temperature Difference
Observation:

The rod placed in the flame becomes too hot faster than the one
placed in the boiling water.

Explanation:

• The rate of heat flow (thermal conduction) increases with

increase in temperature. Thermal conduction in metals is by
two mechanisms i.e. vibration of atoms and by free electrons.
• A high temperature difference between the ends of the
conductors sets the atoms into vibrations more vigorously and
the vibrations are passed more quickly to the cooler end.
• The electrons on the other hand gain a lot of kinetic energy
causing them to spread the heat energy to cooler parts of the
metal within a short time.
 Length of the conductor

Observation:
The end of metal B held in hand becomes too hot earlier than
metal A. Thermal conductivity increases with decrease in length.

Explanation:
Heat travels within a conductor along imaginary lines called lines
of heat flow.
 cross-sectional area of the conductor

Observation:

Thermal conductivity increases with decrease in cross sectional

area of the conducting material.
 Nature of the material
Observation:

The end of copper rod held in the hand becomes too hot earlier
than iron rod. This shows that thermal conductivity depends on
the nature of the material.

Explanation:

Different materials have different strength of force bonding the

atoms within the material. The number of free electrons also
differs from one material to another material. Materials with
many free electrons are better conductors of heat e.g. copper has
more free electrons than iron.
Thermal conductivity in
solid
If you stir hot tea using a metal spoon, you will observe that
the handle of the spoon becomes warm.

Solids that are good conductors of heat (metals) use both

atom vibration and free electrons to conduct heat.

Why liquids are poor conductors of

heat
This is ?
because there are large inter-moleculardistances
between liquid molecules.There are also fewer and rare
collisions between the molecules.
Electrolytes, e.g., Salt solution are better conductors of
heat than pure liquids because of an increased
compactness of the par ticles.

Thermal conductivity in gases

Gases are worse conductors of heat because of large
inter-molecular distance.
 Thermal Contact Resistance

Temperature distribution and heat flow lines along two solid plates

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pressed against each other for the case of perfect and imperfect contact.