Absolute Measurement of the Thermal Conductivity of Electrically Conducting Liquids

A new instrument for the measurement of the thermal conductivity of electrically conducting liquids by the transient hot‐wire method is described. The instrument has features in common with earlier versions but employs a novel technique for the insulation of the hot‐wire. Absolute measurements of the thermal conductivity of water, methanol and ethanol are reported at atmospheric pressure and in the temperature range 295 — 350 K. The overall uncertainty in the reported thermal conductivity data is estimated to be ±0.5%. The data for water are consistent with internationally recommended reference values of slightly inferior accuracy.