K_MATERIAL

This function returns thermal conductivity for a selected building, insulation, or refractory material. The material can be provided directly by table ID or by a search term that resolves to the nearest available match.

Thermal conductivity governs conductive heat transfer according to Fourier’s law:

q = -k\nabla T

where k is reported in W/m/K. Some table entries are temperature dependent, so an optional temperature can be supplied.

Excel Usage

=K_MATERIAL(ID, T)

ID (str, required): Material ID or search term (dimensionless).
T (float, optional, default: 298.15): Temperature of the material (K).

Returns (float): Thermal conductivity of the material (W/m/K).

Example 1: Mineral fiber conductivity

Inputs:

ID
Mineral fiber

Excel formula:

=K_MATERIAL("Mineral fiber")

Expected output:

0.036

Example 2: Stainless steel conductivity

Inputs:

ID
Metals, stainless steel

Excel formula:

=K_MATERIAL("Metals, stainless steel")

Expected output:

17

Example 3: Quartz glass conductivity

Inputs:

ID
Glass, quartz

Excel formula:

=K_MATERIAL("Glass, quartz")

Expected output:

1.4

Example 4: Fused silica conductivity at 1000 K

Inputs:

ID	T
Fused silica	1000

Excel formula:

=K_MATERIAL("Fused silica", 1000)

Expected output:

1.58074

Python Code

Show Code

from ht.insulation import k_material as ht_k_material

def k_material(ID, T=298.15):
    """
    Return thermal conductivity for an insulating or building material.

    See: https://ht.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ht.insulation.html

    This example function is provided as-is without any representation of accuracy.

    Args:
        ID (str): Material ID or search term (dimensionless).
        T (float, optional): Temperature of the material (K). Default is 298.15.

    Returns:
        float: Thermal conductivity of the material (W/m/K).
    """
    try:
        result = ht_k_material(ID, T)
        return float(result)
    except Exception as e:
        return f"Error: {str(e)}"

Online Calculator

ID *

Material ID or search term (dimensionless).

Temperature of the material (K).