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Understanding Infrared Thermography Reading 3

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Thermal Diffusivity<br />

As in emissivity Ɛ. the heat conducting properties of materials may vary from sample<br />

to sample. depending on variables in the fabrication process and other factors.<br />

Thermal diffusivity α is the 3D expansion of thermal conductivity in any given material<br />

sample. Diffusivily relates more to transient heat flow, whereas conductivity relates to<br />

steady state heat flow. It takes into account the thermal conductivity k of the sample,<br />

its specific heat C p<br />

, and its density ρ. Its equation is<br />

α = k/ρ C p cm 2 s -1 .<br />

Because thermal diffusivity of a sample can be measured directly using infrared<br />

thermography, it is used extensively by the materials flaw evaluation community as an<br />

assessment of a test sample's ability to carry heat away, in all directions, from a heat<br />

injection site. Table 2.1 lists thermal diffusivities for several common materials in<br />

increasing order of thermal diffusivity. Several protocols for measuring the thermal<br />

diffusivity of a test sample are described by Maldague.<br />

Charlie Chong/ Fion Zhang

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