A Novel Instrument for the Measurement of the Thermal Conductivity of Molten Metals. Part I: Instrument’s Description

The paper reports the design and construction of a new instrument for the measurement of the thermal conductivity of molten metals and salts. The apparatus is based on the transient hot-wire technique, and it is intended for operation over a wide range of temperatures, from ambient up to 1200 K. The present experimental technique overcomes problems of convection and thermal radiation, and it is demonstrated that it operates in accord with a theoretical model. The uncertainty of the thermal conductivity results is estimated to be +/-2% which is superior to that achieved in most earlier work.