Hot Disk Transient Plane Source (TPS)

Thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and heat capacity all in one instrument

Please contact our specialist if you have any questions or need a quote.

Dr. Artem Trofimov - trofimov@ortonceramic.com

or call +1-614-818-1320

Hot Disk TPS technique is a quick and easy way to determine thermal conducitvity and thermal diffusivity of your material from a single measurement, which also provides you with a volumetric heat capacity based on the relationship between these thermal properties.

Method:

Hot Disk Thermal Constants Analyzer follows the Transient Plane Source (TPS) method using a transiently heated plane sensor (Nickel double spiral) laminated between two thin sheets of an insulating material (Kapton, Mica, etc.).
All that is needed is to place the sensor between two identical samples of your material and ensure a good contact, which is easily obtained with a flat surface of the sample facing the sensor. Remaining sample geometry is less critical (one of the many advantages of the Hot Disk).

Range of Materials, Thermal Conductivity, and Temperatures:

Tested materials can be solids, powders, pastes, or even liquids and thin films (thickness from 20 to 600 microns). The Hot Disk Thermal Constants Analyser has been used for studying a large number of different materials such as Metals, Alloys, Minerals, Ceramics, Glasses, Powders, Plastics, Building Materials, Biomaterials, Liquids, etc. Please, visit the Application page to see a variety of fascinating examples, where the Hot Disk TPS is employed.
Thermal conductivity possible to measure ranges from a few mW/m/K to about 1800 W/m/K.
Measurements are possible from ca. -250 °C to 1000 °C. Kapton sensor could be used from cryogenic temperature to 300 °C, while Mica sensors should be used at higher temperatures. In the case of adverse or corrosive environment Teflon sensors are also available.

Sensors and Sample Dimensions:

Smallest dimension of the sample (for example, thickness) should not be smaller than the radius of the sensor. A large assortment of the sensor sizes is offered with the radii ranging from less than 1 mm (for very small samples) to about 30 mm in radius. It is always recommended to use larger samples with the larger sensor if possible. Variety of available types of sensor and their sizes can be found here.

Additional Capabilities:

Anisotropy

The TPS can test both isotropic and anisotropic materials and has a special module to distinguish between axial (through thickness) and radial (in-plane of the sensor) thermal conductivities.

One-dimensional measurement

When the sample geometry or dimensions are restricted to the small diameter or cross-section but sufficient in the axial direction (rod-shaped samples), the thermal conductivity and diffusivity can be evaluated along this axis using a special one-dimensional module.

Single-sided testing

If only one sample is available for a measurement, a single-sided testing is possible to employ, where an insulating material is used to support the sensor. Note, that the thermal conductivity of insulating material should be about an order of magnitude smaller than the expected conductivity of the tested sample.

Direct heat capacity characterization

Specially designed heat capacity sample holder in combination with Heat Capacity module allows for a direct testing of material's heat capacity.

Use this link to see a full list of Hot Disk Measurement Modules or click here to learn about a selection of TPS instruments.

For all your application needs, a broad scope of TPS accessories is offered.

TPS method operates in accordance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard ISO 22007-2.

Orton Ceramic has partnered with Hot Disk AB to become an official distributor of Hot Disk TPS in Eastern USA as well as Central- and South America. Orton Ceramic also offers Thermal Analytical Instruments and Material Testing services for measuring of thermal properties.