Photothermal and Thermographic Techniques to assess Thermophysical Properties of Porous Ceramic Materials

In this paper some photothermal and thermographic techniques are presented to assess the thermophysical properties of porous ceramic materials. Laser Flash is applied in a controlled atmosphere to evaluate the thermal conductivity and its dependence on the microporosity of the material under test. IR thermography, thanks to its imaging capabilities, is applied to assess the conductivity anisotropy of Thermal Barrier Coatings, depending on the deposition technology. Finally, the semitransparency of materials is considered and the measurements process is suitably modeled to improve the accuracy. Various examples of ceramic materials utilized in the power industry are presented.