A Setup for Studying the Low-Temperature Thermal Conductivity of Powder Samples

A setup for studying the thermal conductivity of powder samples in the temperature range 2–200 K using the stationary heat flow method is described. The design of the cryogenic part of the setup allows a sample to be loaded at low temperatures. The effective thermal conductivities of methane hydrate powder and the ice powder obtained upon methane hydrate decomposition were measured, and the true thermal conductivities were determined. A heat exchange gas (helium) at a lowered pressure was used to reduce the interface thermal resistance between the grains in the powders.