ABSTRACT
In the heat transfer by conduction processes under steady state, the flow of heat transmitted (
Q
) through a solid is directly proportional to the transmission area (
A
) and to the increase of temperature (
∆
T
), and is inversely proportional to the thickness of the solid (
e
). The proportionality constant is called thermal conductivity:
Heat conduction under steady state has been used in different experiments to calculate the thermal conductivity of food, although experiments under unsteady state can also be used. Either way, mathematical relationships are sought that allow calculation of the thermal conductivity of a given food as a function of temperature and composition.
