20.2.1 Thermal properties: overview

The following properties describe the thermal behavior of a material and can be used in heat transfer and thermal stress analyses (see Heat transfer analysis procedures: overview, Section 6.5.1):

Thermal conductivity: When heat flows by conduction, the thermal conductivity must be defined (Conductivity, Section 20.2.2).

Specific heat: In transient heat transfer analyses as well as adiabatic stress analyses the specific heat of a material must be defined (Specific heat, Section 20.2.3).

Latent heat: When a material changes phase, the change in internal energy can be significant. The amount of energy liberated or absorbed can be defined by specifying a latent heat for each phase change a material undergoes (Latent heat, Section 20.2.4).