A Universal Laser-Pulse Apparatus for Thermophysical Measurements in Refractory Materials at Very High Temperatures

This paper presents a new experimental technique enabling thermophysical measurements to be carried out at very high temperatures in a very simple and small pressurized vessel in which the sample is heated by a continuous wave laser, and subsequently subjected to a short temperature pulse. The adopted method is essentially an extension of the "laser-flash" technique, widely used for thermal diffusivity measurements, whereby, in addition, the heat capacity and, hence, the thermal conductivity, A, are simultaneously evaluated from the pulse analysis. Results are preseInted for the thermal diffusivity and heat capacity of graphite, zirconia, and uranium dioxide up to temperatures above 3000 K.