4.1.1 Heating Chamber—A heating chamber, shown in Fig.
3, shall be capable of being heated electrically over a tempera-
ture range from 400 to 2800 °F (205 to 1540 °C) in a neutral or
oxidizing atmosphere. The temperature of the heating unit shall
be controlled by a mechanism capable of maintaining the
temperature in the chamber constant to within 65°F(63 °C).
A silicon carbide slab 13
1
⁄
2
by 9 by 1 in. (342 by 228 by
25 mm), with the 13
1
⁄
2
by 9-in. (342 by 228-mm) faces plane
and parallel, shall be placed above the sample for the purpose
of providing uniform heat distribution. A layer of insulation
equivalent at least to 1 in. (25 mm) of Group 20 insulating
firebrick (see Classification C155) shall be placed below the
calorimeter and guard plates.
4.1.2 Calorimeter Assembly—A copper calorimeter
assembly, of the design shown in Fig. 4, shall be used for
measuring the quantity of heat flowing through the test
specimen. The water circulation is such that adjacent passages
contain incoming and outgoing streams of water. The calorim-
eter shall be 3 by 3 in. (76 by 76 mm) square and shall have one
inlet and one outlet water connection. The inner guard sur-
rounding the calorimeter shall be 13
1
⁄
2
by 9 in. (342 by
228 mm) and shall have two inlet and two outlet water
connections. The outer guard shall extend 2 in. (51 mm)
laterally from the inner guard and shall extend vertically to the
member comprising the bottom of the heating chamber (see
Fig. 3). The separation between the calorimeter and the inner
guard shall be
1
⁄
32
in. (0.8 mm).
4.1.3 Water Circulating System—A water circulating system
shall be provided for supplying the calorimeter assembly with
water at constant pressure and at a temperature that is not
changing at a rate greater than 1 °F (0.5 °C) ⁄h. The inlet water
pressure shall be at least the equivalent of 10 ft of hydrostatic
pressure (29.9 kPa). The inlet water temperature shall at all
times be within +5 °F (+3 °C) or −2 °F (−1 °C) of the room
temperature. Fig. 5 shows the arrangement that shall be used
for meeting these conditions. The regulating valves for con-
trolling the rate of water flow through the calorimeter assembly
shall be capable of maintaining a constant rate of flow within
61 % during the test period.
4.1.4 Instruments for Measuring Temperature of
Specimen—Calibrated
4
thermocouples shall be embedded in
the test specimen for measuring the temperature. The electro-
motive force (emf) for the temperature readings shall be taken
with a potentiometer having an instrument error of not more
than 60.05 mV, and the cold junctions of the thermocouples
shall be immersed in a mixture of ice and water.
4.1.5 Instrument for Measuring Temperature Rise in Calo-
rimeter Water—A multiple differential thermocouple shall be
used for measuring
5
within an accuracy of not less than 1 % of
the temperature rise of the water flowing through the calorim-
eter. The thermocouple shall be immersed at least 3
1
⁄
2
in.
(89 mm) in the inlet and outlet connections, and the junctions
shall be not more than
1
⁄
4
in. (6 mm) distant from the bottom of
the calorimeter. A calibrated differential 10X copper-
constantan thermocouple shall be used, and the millivolt
readings shall be taken with a potentiometer having an instru-
ment error of not more than 60.01 mV in the range between 0
and2mV.
4.1.6 Instruments for Measuring Temperature Difference
Between Calorimeter and Inner Guard—Calibrated differential
10X copper-constantan thermocouples shall be located in the
calorimeter and inner guard for measuring
5
the temperature
differences between the calorimeter and inner guard. The
temperature difference during a test shall be maintained at a
value less than 60.05 °F (60.03 °C). The thermocouple junc-
tions shall be placed in the four wells provided for that
purpose, and millivolt readings shall be taken with a potenti-
ometer having an instrument error of not more than 60.01 mV
in the range between 0 and 2 mV.
5. Test Sample and Its Preparation
5.1 Test Sample—The test sample shall consist of three 9-in.
(228-mm) straight brick and six 9 by 2
1
⁄
2
by 2
1
⁄
4
-in. (228 by 64
by 57-mm) soap brick (Note 2) that are representative of the
material being tested. These brick shall be selected for unifor-
mity of structure and bulk density, and they shall be free of
broken corners or edges. One brick shall be used as the test
4
Test Method E220 specifies calibration procedures for thermocouples.
5
The following procedures are recommended: Roeser, W. F., “Thermoelectric
Thermometry,” and Roeser, W. F., and Wensel, H. T., “Methods of Testing
Thermocouples and Thermocouple Materials,” Temperature, Its Measurement and
Control, Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York, NY, 1941, pp. 180 and 284,
respectively.
NOTE 1—The upper half of the heating chamber has been raised to
permit introduction of the test samples.
FIG. 1 Photograph of Thermal Conductivity Apparatus
C201 − 93 (2019)
´1
2