A new method for apparent thermal conductivity determination for sheet samples utilizing principle of Bunsen Ice Calorimeter

A new apparatus to measure a heat flux across a sheet sample has been proposed to determine its apparent thermal conductivity. The heat flux was derived from the volume change caused by melting of ice utilizing the principle of the Bunsen Ice Calorimeter. Measurements were conducted using Ni-base super alloy (Inconel 600), alumina and Teflon as samples to confirm the reasonability of this method, in addition to a simulation study. The apparent thermal conductivity values obtained are 14.7±0.4 Wm^-1K^-1 for Inconel at 281 K-287 K, 24.8±0.7 Wm^-1K^-1 for alumina at 281 K-287 K and 0.313±0.004 Wm^-1K^-1 for Teflon at 285 K-411 K, which are in very good agreement with the respective reported values. Discussion has been made on error factors of this method and a feasibility of this method being applied to measurements of apparent thermal conductivities of oxide scales formed on the steel surface under steep temperature gradient in the actual hot-rolling process.