Thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity of ZrC_p/W composites

Thermal diffusivity of ZrC_p/W composites and its dependence on temperature and ZrC_p content are reported. Measurements were carried out from 20°C to 800°C with the ZrC_p volume fraction varied from 0% to 40% using a laser-flash method. Also, the thermal conductivity was calculated as the product of density, specific heat and thermal diffusivity. The results show that the thermal conductivity of ZrC_p/W composites changes slightly with increasing temperature but decreases with increasing volume fraction of ZrC_p. The theoretical values of thermal conductivity of ZrC_p/W composites are much higher than their measured ones. The ZrC_p content dependence of all other thermophysical properties (thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, density and specific heat) is also presented.