About Thermal Conductivity Converter
Our thermal conductivity converter tool helps you convert between different units of thermal conductivity quickly and accurately. Thermal conductivity is a measure of a material's ability to conduct heat and is essential in thermal engineering, material science, and heat transfer analysis.
Common Use Cases
- Material Science: Convert between SI and imperial units for material thermal properties
- Thermal Engineering: Work with different thermal conductivity units in heat exchanger design
- Building Design: Convert units for thermal insulation and energy efficiency calculations
- Process Engineering: Use appropriate units for heat transfer equipment sizing
What is Thermal Conductivity?
Thermal conductivity (k) is a material property that quantifies the ability of a material to conduct heat. It represents the amount of heat energy transferred per unit time through a unit area of the material when there is a unit temperature gradient across the material.
Key Applications
- Heat Exchangers: Determines heat transfer efficiency and equipment sizing
- Building Insulation: Affects energy efficiency and thermal comfort
- Electronics Cooling: Critical for thermal management of electronic components
- Industrial Processes: Influences heating and cooling rates in manufacturing
Common Thermal Conductivity Values
- Copper: ~400 W/(m·K)
- Aluminum: ~237 W/(m·K)
- Steel: ~50 W/(m·K)
- Glass: ~1 W/(m·K)
- Wood: ~0.1-0.2 W/(m·K)
- Air: ~0.024 W/(m·K)
Common Conversions
Unit Definitions
Watt per meter kelvin (W/(m·K))
The SI unit of thermal conductivity, equal to one watt per meter per kelvin temperature gradient.
Formula: 1 W/(m·K) = 1 W/(m·K)
BTU per foot hour fahrenheit (BTU/(ft·h·°F))
An imperial unit of thermal conductivity commonly used in HVAC and building design.
Formula: 1 BTU/(ft·h·°F) ≈ 1.7307 W/(m·K)
Calorie per centimeter second celsius (cal/(cm·s·°C))
A CGS unit of thermal conductivity used in some engineering applications.
Formula: 1 cal/(cm·s·°C) = 418.68 W/(m·K)
Kilowatt per meter kelvin (kW/(m·K))
A larger SI unit of thermal conductivity for high conductivity materials.
Formula: 1 kW/(m·K) = 1000 W/(m·K)
BTU per foot second fahrenheit (BTU/(ft·s·°F))
An imperial unit for very high thermal conductivity rates.
Formula: 1 BTU/(ft·s·°F) ≈ 6230.64 W/(m·K)
Watt per centimeter kelvin (W/(cm·K))
A larger SI unit for high thermal conductivity applications.
Formula: 1 W/(cm·K) = 100 W/(m·K)