Thermal and Electrical Conductivity of Graphite and Carbon at Low Temperatures

Abstract

Thermal and electrical conductivities of graphite and carbon were measured at various temperatures in the range between −191°C and 100°C. Thermal conductivity of graphite was found to increase at an increasing rate as the temperature was lowered and two values were always found for Acheson graphite, a longitudinal and transverse conductivity, the latter being about ½ the former. This effect has not been reported for artificial graphite although Wooster reported an anisotropy in natural graphite with respect to thermal conductivity, the values along the axis being about four times that at right angles. X-ray patterns give no evidence of crystalline alignment in Acheson graphite and the explanation of this anisotropy has not been found. The electrical conductivity of graphite increases with rise of temperature as contrasted with the decrease of the thermal conductivity with temperature rise. Thus the Wiedmann-Franz law does not hold, nor is the Lorentz number a constant. Carbon shows no anisotropy. The thermal and electrical conductivities both increase with temperature rise, the thermal conductivity linear, in the temperature range −191° to 100°C.