Determination of thermal properties of some ceiling material commonly used in Ijebu- Ode, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigates the thermal properties of different insulating material used in building construction in Ijebu Ode, a tropical rainforest region, south western, Nigeria. Five insulating material; asbestos, Plaster of Paris (P.O.P), PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC), hardboard and paperboard, were subjected to thermal investigation using Lee’s disc electrical method. The result obtained showed that the thermal conductivities obtained are within the range of values specified for good insulating materials. Asbestos was found to be associated with the least thermal conductivity of the value 𝟎. 𝟏𝟕𝟏𝟕 𝑾𝒎-𝟏𝑲-𝟏while PVC had the highest thermal conductivity values of 𝟏. 𝟔𝟒𝟗𝟗 𝑾𝒎-𝟏𝑲-𝟏. This may be associated with the temperature and the heat flux on the surface of the material. The results obtained for thermal conductivity, thermal resistivity and thermal diffusivity correlated favourably when compared with those of previous work from other locations. Asbestos being the material with the lowest thermal conductivity is therefore recommended for use as the suitable insulating ceiling material in the study area. Keywords: thermal conductivity, diffusivity, resistivity, Lee’s disc