1. Background

This Combustion File consists of a compilation of experimental data from a variety of sources on the [GLOSS]emissivity[/GLOSS] of ceramics and glasses at different temperatures.  The data is cast in the form of temperature dependent correlation equations that can be used for modelling purposes.  Correlations for other materials may be found in four other linked Combustion Files:

·          CF147 – metals

·          CF148 – firebrick and refractories

·          CF149 – carbons and coal ash

·          CF224 – Coatings, paints, paper, porcelain and water

 

Background information on the definition and general aspects of the surface emissivity of materials may be found in CF146. Information on the effects of surface roughness is presented in CF 150.

Users of this combustion file should note:

• The data are tabulated in HTML form lower on this page.
• The same data, prepared for calculation, are presented in individual Microsoft Excel Worksheets, all contained within a Workbook.
• The Excel Worksheets also contains two columns allowing the user to calculate surface emissivity directly by inputting a temperature value
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• To achieve this click on the “xls” icon on the left hand side of the banner above. The file will be retrieved from the server, and with up-to-date versions of the browser, will appear in a separate window, from which it may be saved to the user’s hard disk.
• With the exception of the temperature input cells for the calculator, the data in these worksheets are protected – thus the reader cannot change the worksheet without knowledge of the protection password.
• However the reader can copy and paste the data into his/her own project work book as required – at this point the accuracy and integrity of the data becomes the responsibility of the reader.
• To overview the data available – see text and tables below.
• All credits and sources, and where necessary, instructions/advice for data use, are presented in this html file. These are not necessarily reproduced in the Excel Work Sheets.

 

2. The correlation equation

Section 3 lists the emissivity, e_0(T), of a wide range of ceramics and glasses as a function of temperature.  These are expressed as least squares polynomials fitted to data from the references listed under Sources below. They are correlated by the expression:

 

e_0(T) = a +10^-5bT + 10^-8cT² +10^-10dT³                                        (1)

 

where T is the absolute temperature (K)

and a, b, c, d are fitted coefficients.

 

 Omitted entries for the coefficients should be taken as zero.  Extrapolation beyond the quoted temperature range should be undertaken with caution especially for strongly non-linear relationships where the c and d coefficients are non-zero.  The s.d. column contains the standard deviation of the individual emissivity measurements about the fitted line, but this is only included where a reasonable estimate is obtainable. 

 

3. Emissivity data and correlation coefficients

The correlation coefficients to be used in Equation 1 are shown in the tables below. For certain materials, a graphical representation of the emissivity against temperature replaces the correlations. This is shown in Figure 1.

Material	e0(T)					T range K	Ref.	e range
	a	b	c	d	s.d.
Alumina, pure	0.98	-53	10.2		0.054	300 – 1800	1	0.83-0.35
polished @ 3µm	0.92-0.89					298 – 373	4	0.92-0.89
Glasses
Vycor (Corning 7900)	0.85	9.5	-10.8		0.018	70 – 1050	1	0.87-0.85
Aluminium silicate	0.84	24.6	-25.7		0.016	70 – 950	1	0.89-0.83
Pyrex (Corning 7740)	0.83	14.4	-17.3		0.026	70 – 1150	1	0.86-0.8
Borosilicate	0.82	28.7	-24.6		0.013	70 – 750	1	0.88-0.86
Soda	0.8	36.6	-46.8		0.02	70 – 800	1	0.86-0.68
Fused silica	0.77	24.8	-31.3		0.028	70 – 1050	1	0.75-0.71
Iron oxide (Fe2O3)	-0.01	161	-75		0.035	850 – 1300	1	0.82
Magnesium oxide (MgO)	0.73	11.8	-65	2.48	0.038	50 – 2350	1	0.73-0.64
Silicon carbide (SiC)	0.80	15.4	-9.01		0.023	400 – 1850	3	0.85-0.78
polished	0.99					298 – 373	4	0.99
oxidised (1hr, 1367 K)	0.7	-25				800 – 1600	1	0.5-0.3
Silicon nitride (Si3N4)	0.86	13.9	-16.3		0.001	600 – 1250	1	0.89-0.78
polished	0.98					298 – 73	4	0.98
Thorium dioxide (ThO2)	1.93	-224.1	74.7		0.08	1200 – 2250	1	0.32-0.67
Titanium dioxide (TiO2)	0.68	-21.2			0.023	850 – 1300	1	0.49-0.4
polished	0.96-0.95					298 – 373	4	0.96-0.95
Zirconia (ZrO2)	0.82	6.67	-86.8	4.18	0.048	50 – 1600	1	0.82-0.42
Zirconia/MgO (1:1)	0.9	-37				700 – 1700	3	0.64-0.27
polished	0.95-0.92					293 – 373	4	0.95-0.92
Zirconium carbide	0.98	-13.9			0.09	1200 – 2400	1	0.82-0.66

Material	e0(T)					T range K	Ref.	e range
	a	b	c	d	s.d.
Ceramic fibre insulation Board:    (45wt% Al2O3, 55wt%   SiO2, 0.05wt% Fe2O3)   fibres normal to surface	1.27	-48.5	2.84		0.017	600  – 1400	6	0.94,0.65
parallel bonded fibres	1.47	-91.1	14.4		0.024	600 – 1400	6	0.9-0.48
Zirconia coated fibre	1.26	-26.7				1000 – 1300	7	0.99-0.91
Ceramic Fibres   Kaowool (45wt% Al2O3,   55wt% SiO2)   Zircar (99wt% ZrO2)						923 – 1173   1080	8,9   8,9	0.87-0.40   0.51
Saffil (95wt% Al2O3,   5wt% SiO2)						1010	8,9	0.49
Microtherm (65wt%   SiO2, 3.2wt% TiO2)						950	8,9	0.48

Material	e0(T)					T range K	Ref.	e range
	a	b	c	d	s.d.
Ceramic fibre insulation	0.93	-48.8				673 – 1023	8,9	0.6-0.43

 

Fig. 1  Normal total emissivity of refractory materials based on aluminium and silicon oxides:

(a)     carborundum-based high emissivity coating (8,9);

(b)      permeable ceramic materials (10);

(c)     ceramic fibres (normal, 6 and parallel, 6);

(d)     silica bricks (14);

(e)     Al₂O₃ mean line from Fig. 2;

(f)     ceramic fibre board (11);

(g)     light weight refractory (8,9).

Acknowledgements

This work was funded in part by the UK Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Service (HTFS) and part supported by the UK EPSRC. The information contained within this file was first published in the Journal of the Institute of Energy. 74, No 500 September 2001 (pp 91 – 99). The permission of the UK Institute of Energy to reproduce it here is gratefully acknowledged.

Sources

1.        TOULOUKIAN, Y.S. and DE WITT, D.P, Thermal radiative properties: Metallic elements and alloys, 1970, Vol. 7. TOULOUKIAN, Y.S. and DE WITT, D.P. Thermal radiative properties.  Nonmetallic solids, 1971, Vol. 8; in Thermophysical Properties of Matter, TPRC Data Series (edited by Touloukian, Y.S. and Ho, C.Y.) Plenum Press, New York.

2.       Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (60th Edition), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, 1981.

3.       RATANAPUPECH, P. and BAUTISTA, R.G. Normal spectral emissivities of liquid iron, liquid nickel and liquid iron-nickel alloys.  High Temperature Science, 1981, 14(4) 269-283.

4.       WILLIAMS, A., HAMPARTSOUMIAN, E. and SIMMONS, B. Unpublished data.

5.       OSBORN, P.D. Handbook of Energy Data and Calculations.  Butterworth, London, 1985.

6.       FLETCHER, J.D. and WILLIAMS, A. Emissivities of ceramic fibre linings for high-temperature furnaces.  JInst.Energy, 377, 1984

7.       ELLISTON, D.G. GRAY, W.A., HIBBERD, D.F., HO, T-Y. and WILLIAMS, A. The effect of surface emissivity on furnace performance.  JInst.Energy, 1987, 155-167.

8.       GRAY, W.A., HAMPARTSOUMIAN, E., TAYLOR, J.M. and WILLIAMS, A. The role of radiation in determining the performance of gas-fired furnaces.  Proc. 1989 Int. Gas Res. Conf., Government Institutes USA Inc., 1989, Vol. III, 26-34.

9.       HAMPARTSOUMIAN, E. Spectral emittance measurements of furnace wall materials and coatings.  Ceramics in Energy Applications Conference, Sheffield, IOP Publishing Ltd., 1990, 149-157.

10.     JACKSON, J.D., YEN, C-C.  Measurements of total and spectral emissivities of some ceramic fibre insulation materials.  Ceramics in Energy Application, The Institute of Energy, London, 1994,159.

11.      JACKSON, J.D., AN, P. and PENA-MARCO, I. Measurements of the total and spectral emittance of permeable ceramic materials.  Proc. 4^th UK National Heat Transfer Conference, C510/132, I.Mech.E., 1995, 561-565.

12.     HOOGENDOORN, C.J. and WIERINGA, J.A. The effect of refractory emission on the energy efficiency of high temperature gas fired furnaces.  VDI Beridte, 1989, 765, 133-141.

13.     FISHER, G. Ceramic coatings enhance performance engineering.  Ceramic Bulletin, 1986, 65(283).