Standard Reference Materials: SRM 1453a, Expanded Polystyrene Board for Thermal Conductivity from 282 K to 314 K

Published

March 25, 2026

Author(s)

Jae Hyun Kim, Adam Pintar

Abstract

Thermal conductivity measurements at and near room temperature are presented as the basis for certified values of thermal conductivity for SRM 1453a, Expanded Polystyrene board. The measurements have been collected according to a split-plot experiment design with two factors , bulk density, the whole-plot factor and temperature, the split-plot factor using the NIST 1016 mm line-heat-source guarded-hot-plate apparatus. The thermal conductivities of the SRM specimens were measured over a range of bulk densities from 43 kg/m3 to 53 kg/m3 and mean temperatures from 282 K to 314 K. Uncertainties for the measurements, consistent in format with current international guidelines, have been prepared. Statistical analyses of the physical properties from the SRM are presented and include variations between boards. Each unit of SRM 1453a is individually certified for bulk density, ρ, and batch certified for thermal conductivity with the following equation: λ= -0.1238+2.9367×10^(-5)×ρ+1.3280×10^(-3)×Tm-3.9977×10^(-6)×Tm^2+4.3384×10^(-9) ×Tm^3 where λ is the predicted thermal conductivity (W‧m-1‧K-1) and Tm is the mean temperature (K) valid over the bulk density and temperature ranges of 43 kg/m3 to 53 kg/m3 and 282 K to 314 K, respectively. The expanded uncertainty for λ from the above equation is 1.9 % with a coverage factor of approximately k=2.

Citation

Special Publication (NIST SP) - 260-261

Report Number

260-261

NIST Pub Series

Special Publication (NIST SP)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.260-261

Local Download

Keywords

Calibration, bulk density, expanded polystyrene board, guarded-hot-plate apparatus, heat-flow-meter apparatus, standard reference material, SRM 1453a, thermal conductivity, thermal insulation, uncertainty

Citation

Kim, J. and Pintar, A. (2026), Standard Reference Materials: SRM 1453a, Expanded Polystyrene Board for Thermal Conductivity from 282 K to 314 K, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.260-261, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=960398 (Accessed March 26, 2026)