Thermal Conductivity of Alkali Metals

Liquid alkali metals. A general review of thermal conductivity data is given in ref. [95]. The correlations obtained in [95] fit the existing measurements for all alkali metals between T_melt and 1973–1273 K. The accuracy of thermal conductivity values recommended in [95] can be assessed as 8–12 percent. The values presented in [96] extend up to 1400–1900 K and should be accurate to within 5–10 percent. A series of more recent measurements were analyzed in [97], where recommended values for all liquid alkali metals for the temperatures up to 1500 K were presented. These are thought to be accurate to 2 percent below 700 K and 5 percent at higher temperatures.

The tabulations 8.1–8.5 are based on the results presented in [95–97].

The accuracy of the tabulations for different alkali metals is as follows:

lithium and sodium – 2 percent below 700 K and 5 percent above 700 K;

potassium – 6 percent below 700 K and 2 percent above 700 K;

rubidium – 2 percent below 700 K and 6 percent above 700 K;

cesium – 2 percent below 700 K and 6 percent above 700 K. 77

Table 8.1 Thermal conductivity of liquid lithium

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

453,7

42,8

700

49,7

1000

57,6

1300

64,3

500

44,0

800

52,4

1100

60,1

1400

66,0

600

46,8

900

55,1

1200

62,2

1500

68,0

Table 8.2 Thermal conductivity of liquid sodium, W/(m · K)

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

371

88,6

550

77,2

800

64,7

1200

48,0

400

86,2

600

74,6

900

60,0

1300

44,7

450

82,8

650

72,0

1000

55,5

1400

41,6

500

79,9

700

69,6

1100

51,2

1500

38,6

Table 8.3 Thermal conductivity of liquid potassium, W/(m · K)

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

350

54,4

550

46,4

800

37,6

1200

25,5

400

52,2

600

44,5

900

34,2

1300

23,0

450

50,2

650

42,6

1000

31,2

1400

20,5

500

48,3

700

40,9

1100

28,3

1500

18,0

Table 8.4 Thermal conductivity of liquid rubidium W/(m · K)

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

312,5

33,0

550

29,0

900

22,5

1400

14,0

350

34,5

600

28,0

1000

20,8

1500

12,5

400

31,8

650

27,2

1100

19,0

–

–

450

30,9

700

26,2

1200

17,4

–

–

500

30,2

800

24,4

1300

15,7

–

–

Table 8.5 Thermal conductivity of liquid cesium, W/(m · K)

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

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λ · 10³

301,7

18,1

550

18,5

900

16,5

1400

9,5

350

18,2

600

18,5

1000

15,3

1500

8,0

400

18,2

650

18,2

1100

14,2

–

–

450

18,5

700

18,0

1200

12,8

–

–

500

18,5

800

17,3

1300

11,2

–

–