Thermal Contact Resistance: al_al_helium_1atm to al_al_polished_highP
Thermal contact resistance and conductance for material interfaces — bolted joints, pressed contacts, greased interfaces, thermal pads, and bare metal-to-metal contacts
| contact id | conductance W m2K (W/m2K) | contact pressure MPa (MPa) | contact resistance m2KW (m2K/W) | environment | interface material | material 1 | material 2 | notes | surface finish | temperature C (C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| al_al_helium_1atm | 9,520 | 0.1 | 0.000105 | helium | none | aluminum | aluminum | Al plates in helium atmosphere; higher conductance than air due to He higher thermal conductivity (0.152 W/mK vs 0.026 for air) | ground | 20 |
| al_al_indium_foil_1MPa | 30,000 | 1 | 0.000033 | air | indium_foil | aluminum | aluminum | Indium foil TIM (k=81.8 W/mK, 0.1 mm); very high conformability; excellent at moderate pressure | ground | 25 |
| al_al_lapped_1MPa | 20,000 | 1 | 0.00005 | air | none | aluminum | aluminum | Lapped aluminum; smoother than ground; estimated from Incropera Table 3.2 interpolation | lapped | 20 |
| al_al_phase_change_1MPa | 6,000 | 1 | 0.000167 | air | phase_change_material | aluminum | aluminum | Phase-change TIM (PCM pad, ~60°C transition); liquefies to fill voids; better than solid pad | as-machined | 60 |
| al_al_polished_highP | 60,000 | 10 | 0.000017 | air | none | aluminum | aluminum | Highly polished aluminum at elevated contact pressure; upper bound for bare Al-Al | polished | 20 |
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