Thermal Diffusivity of Solid and Liquid 304 Stainless Steel, Iron, and Zirconium

Measurement of the thermophysical properties of liquid metals is a highly challenging task due to numerous problems encountered above the fusion point. Properties such as density and surface tension have been widely investigated, while few studies address thermal diffusivity. In this paper we describe an original methodology for estimating the thermal diffusivity of metals in the liquid state. The proposed experimental setup is based on the traditional flash method. Its design ensures that samples of liquid metal are self-contained, preventing contamination and allowing measurements at high temperature. Results for both solid and liquid iron and 304 stainless steel are presented and compared to data suggested by the literature for validation. Then, for the first time, thermal diffusivity measurement of liquid zirconium is performed giving results up to 2450 K. Giving the high sensitivity of the results to the thickness variation we propose a numerical approach to deal with this issue.