Thermal Conductivity Testing 101: Method & Applications

Thermal conductivity is one of the most searched material properties in thermal engineering, electronics cooling, insulation design, and energy efficiency. If you have ever asked “what is thermal conductivity?” or “how do you measure thermal conductivity?”, this introductory session is for you. In this webinar, we explain what thermal conductivity is, why it matters, and how to measure it accurately across real materials, real sample types, and real application needs. You will learn how heat moves through solids, polymers, composites, foams, and thermal interface materials, and why measurement method selection can change your results. This session is ideal for engineers, professors, students, researchers, and product development teams who want a practical foundation in thermal conductivity testing and thermal property measurement. What you will learn: - Thermal conductivity basics: Definition, units (W/m·K), and how thermal conductivity differs from thermal resistance, thermal diffusivity, and thermal effusivity. - How thermal conductivity is measured: An overview of transient thermal conductivity measurement, why transient methods are widely used, and how to choose the right technique for your material and geometry. - Best practices for accurate results: Sample preparation, contact effects, thickness considerations, anisotropy, temperature dependence, and common measurement pitfalls. - Applications and use cases: How thermal conductivity data supports decision making in electronics thermal management, batteries, aerospace materials, polymers, insulation, composites, and R&D screening. - Practical examples: Real world case studies showing how thermal conductivity testing improves product reliability, performance, and energy efficiency. If you are building a test plan, comparing materials, creating technical data, or simply learning the fundamentals, this webinar gives you a clear starting point for understanding and using thermal conductivity measurements with confidence. Keywords thermal conductivity, what is thermal conductivity, thermal conductivity definition, how to measure thermal conductivity, thermal conductivity measurement, thermal conductivity test, transient thermal conductivity, thermal property measurement, heat transfer in materials, thermal management, electronics cooling, battery thermal management, thermal insulation, polymers thermal conductivity, composites thermal conductivity, foam thermal conductivity, thermal interface materials, TIM testing, thermal conductivity units, W/mK, thermal resistance vs thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal effusivity, material characterization, R&D testing, engineering webinar, materials science tutorial