which metal best conducts heat?

Answer 1

silver 429 (W/m K)
but also copper is good 400 (W/m K)

Answer 2

Although all metals are good heat conductors, they are not heat conductive at the same rate. Some metals are simply a better heat conductor than others. For safety and energy conservation reasons we may want to use metals that are not good heat conductors. On the other hand for efficient heat transfer from pipes and radiators to the air we may need metals that are very good heat conductors.

Knowing the heat conductivity of different metals can help us in selecting the right metal for different uses.

Top three are:

1. Pure Silver (99.9%) k = 407 Watts/(meter degree Kelvin)
2. Pure copper k = 386 Watts/(meter degree Kelvin)
3. Pure Aluminum k = 204 Watts/(meter degree Kelvin)
k is the coefficient of thermal conductivity at 20 degrees C (room temperature). If you're looking for best bang for the buck, then copper is your best choice.

The reason metals conduct heat so well is the same reason they conduct electricity well. The best electrical conductors are also the best heat conductors. The reason has to do with the easy mobility of electrons within the crystalline structure of the metal at an atomic scale.

Answer 3

Although all metals are good heat conductors, they are not heat conductive at the same rate. Some metals are simply a better heat conductor than others. For safety and energy conservation reasons we may want to use metals that are not good heat conductors. On the other hand for efficient heat transfer from pipes and radiators to the air we may need metals that are very good heat conductors.
Knowing the heat conductivity of different metals can help us in selecting the right metal for different uses.

Answer 4

Silver

Answer 5

Aluminium and copper for conducting heat and gold for reflecting heat. There is a difference but its complicated.

Answer 6

Silver is the best conductor of heat and electricity.

Answer 7

platinum and tungston both are vgood condustors of current and iron is the very best for heat steel too.

Answer 8

Silver. It is also the best conductor of electricity.

Answer 9

Copper

Answer 10

In metals, thermal conductivity approximately tracks electrical conductivity, as freely moving valence electrons transfer not only electric current but also heat energy. However, the general correlation between electrical and thermal conductance is broken in other materials, due to the relative importance of phonon carriers for heat in non-metals. As shown in the table below, highly electrically conductive silver is less thermally conductive than diamond, which is an electrical insulator.

Thermal conductivity depends on many properties of a material, notably its structure and temperature. For instance, pure crystalline substances exhibit highly variable thermal conductivities along different crystal axes, due to differences in phonon coupling along a given crystal dimension. Sapphire is a notable example of variable thermal conductivity based on orientation and temperature, for which the CRC Handbook reports a thermal conductivity of 2.6 W/m·K perpendicular to the c-axis at 373 K, but 6000 W/m·K at 36 degrees from the c-axis and 35 K.

Air and other gases are generally good insulators, in the absence of convection. Therefore, many insulating materials function simply by having a large number of gas-filled pockets which prevent large-scale convection. Examples of these include expanded and extruded polystyrene (EPS and XPS, both popularly referred to as "styrofoam") and silica aerogel. Natural, biological insulators such as fur and feathers achieve similar effects by dramatically inhibiting convection of air or water near an animal's skin.

Thermal conductivity is important in building insulation and related fields. However, materials used in such trades are rarely subjected to chemical purity standards. Several construction materials' k values are listed below. These should be considered approximate due to the uncertainties related to material definitions.

The following table is meant as a small sample of data to illustrate the thermal conductivity of various types of substances. For more complete listings of measured k-values, see the references.

Material Thermal conductivity Temperature Electrical conductivity Notes
Purified Synthetic Diamond 2,000-2,500 (Lateral)10−16 - (Ballistic)108+
Diamond, impure (C+0.1%N) 1,000ad 273a ~10−16 Type I (98.1% of
Gem Diamonds)
Silver (Ag), pure 406d - 429ag (418f) 300ag 61.35g 62.89 - 63.01 × 106 Highest electrical
conductivity
of any metal
Copper (Cu), pure 385d - 401g (386f - 390e) 273g-373g(293e) 59.17g 58.82 - 59.6 × 106
Gold (Au), pure 314d - 318fg 273g - 373g 40.98 - 45.45g × 106
Aluminium (Al), pure 205d - 237eg (220f) 293eg 37.45g 35.46 - 37.8 × 106
Brass (Cu+(35-15)%Zn) 109dg - 159g (151f) 296g 12.82g - 21.74g × 106
Iron (Fe), pure 71.8f - 80.4g (79.5d - 80.2a) 273g-373g(300a) 9.901g - 10.00 × 106
Cast iron(Fe+(2-3.5)%C+(1-3)%Si) 55f
Bronze (Cu+11%Sn) 42g - 50g ((25%Sn)26f) 296g 5.882g - 7.143g × 106
Carbon Steel (Fe+(1.5-0.5)%C) 36f - 54f (50.2d)
Lead (Pb), pure 34.7d - 35.3g (35f) 273g - 373g 4.545 - 4.854g × 106
Stainless Steel(Fe+18%Cr+8%Ni) 14a - 16.3fg 273a - 296g 1.389g - 1.429g × 106
Granite (Si+14%Al+4%K+3%Na) 1.73b - 3.98b 70.18%SiO2
Thermal grease (silver-based) 2i - 3i
Marble 2.07b - 2.94b Mostly CaCO3
Sandstone 1.83b - 2.90b ~95%-71%SiO2
Ice 1.6d - 2.2a (2.1e) 273a (293e)
Limestone 1.26b - 1.33b Mostly CaCO3
Concrete 0.8d - 1.28e 293e ~61%-67%CaO
Glass 0.8d−0.93e((96%SiO2)1.2-1.4)g 293eg (10−12)g 10−14 - 10−10 <1% Iron oxides
Soil 0.17c - 1.13c
Water 0.6de 293de 5×(Pure)10−6-(Sweet)10−3±1-(Sea)1 <3%(Na+Mg+Ca)
Fibre-reinforced plastics 0.23g - 0.7g (1.06e) 296g (293e) (10−15 - 100)g 10-40%GF or CF
High-Density Polymers 0.33g - 0.52g 296g (10−16 - 102)g
Glycerol 0.29e 293e
Low-Density Polymers 0.04g - 0.33g (0.16 - 0.25)e 296g (293)e (10−17 - 100)g
Rubber (92%) 0.16a 303a ~10−13
Alcohols OR Oils 0.1e - 0.21e 293e
Wood (+12% water) 0.09091h - 0.21h (0.16a - 0.4e) (298a - 293e) Species Variable
Wood (oven-dry) 0.07692h - 0.17h (0.04 - 0.12)d Cedar - Hickory
Snow (dry) 0.11d
Cork (material) 0.04d - 0.07e 293e
Fiberglass OR Foam OR Wool 0.03e - 0.045e (0.04d) 293e
EPS/XPS (PS+Air+CO2+CnH2n+x) 0.033ad (0.1 - 0.13)g 98a-298a (296)g (<10−14 - 100)g
Air (78%N+21%O+1%Ar) (1 atm) 0.024d - 0.0262a (0.025e) 273d-300a(293e)
Oxygen (O2) (1 atm) 0.0238d 293d
Nitrogen (N2) (1 atm) 0.0234d - 0.026a 293d - 300a
Silica Aerogel 0.003a 98a - 298a Foamed Glass