Thermal diffusivity and electrical resistivity of zirconium hydride

Thermal diffusivity of epsilon-phase zirconium hydride (epsilon-ZrHx: x=1.74-1.99) has been measured within the temperature range from room temperature to 600 K. The thermal conductivity of epsilon-ZrHx has also been derived from the present experimental data of the thermal diffusivity and the literature data of the specific heat and the density. The electrical resistivity has also been measured to understand the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity. The comparison between temperature dependencies of thermal conductivity and the electrical conductivity shows that the electronic heat conduction is the dominant process in epsilon-ZrHx. Moreover, it is confirmed that the Lorenz number of epsilon-ZrH1.94 for the Wiedemann-Franz rule is 4.0X10(-2) muOmega W/K-2 in the temperature range of 500-600 K and close to that of Zr metal. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science BY All rights reserved.