Thermal Conductivities of Rare Gas Mixtures

Recent measurements of the thermal conductivities of all ten possible binary mixtures of the rare gases and of the ternary mixture He–Kr–Xe at 29° and 520°C are compared with theoretical calculations. Three calculations are carried out, based on: (1) rigorous kinetic theory, (2) an approximate formula which uses only conductivities of the pure components, and (3) a new semiempirical formula which also requires knowledge of the conductivity of one composition of binary mixture. The agreement is generally satisfactory and furnishes support for the usefulness and accuracy of the formulas used.