Intercomparison of thermal conductivity measurements on a calcium silicate insulation material

The determination of reliable thermal conductivity values of insulation materials at high temperatures is important for target-oriented material research, further improvement of products and quality management. However, there is a lack of reference materials for high temperature thermal conductivity measurements which are needed to ensure and improve good measurement practise. In order to investigate porous calcium silicate as reference material for temperatures up to 1100 K, the German Thermophysics Working Group within GEFTA initiated an intercomparison of thermal conductivity measurements on a commercially available calcium silicate insulation material with seven participating laboratories. Stationary and instationary measurement methods were used to determine the effective total thermal conductivity of the calcium silicate material in the temperature range from 300 K to 1100 K. The derived weighted mean value of the thermal conductivity increases from 0.0846 W m(-1) K(-1) at 300 K to 0.173 W m(-1) K(-1) at 1100 K. Within the same temperature interval the relative uncertainty increases from 3.5% to 7%. The investigated product is commercially available and it could be therefore used in the daily laboratory work as reference material for thermal conductivity measurements at high temperatures. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.