Hydrogen - Thermal Conductivity vs. Temperature and Pressure

Online calculator, figures and table showing thermal conductivity of hydrogen, H₂, at varying temperature and pressure - Imperial and SI Units.

Thermal conductivity is a material property that describes ability to conduct heat. Thermal conductivity can be defined as

"the quantity of heat transmitted through a unit thickness of a material - in a direction normal to a surface of unit area - due to a unit temperature gradient under steady state conditions"

The SI unit used for thermal conductivity is (W/m K), while a common Imperial unit is (Btu/h ft °F).

Thermal conductivity unit converter

The thermal conductivity of hydrogen depends on temperature and pressure as shown in the figures and table below.

Hydrogen phase diagram

There exist two isomers of hydrogen in equilibrium with each other; ortho and para hydrogen. At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen gas contains about 25% of the para form and 75% of the ortho form, also known as the "normal form". At lower temperature the fraction of para hydrogen increases, and at very low temperature almost exclusively the para form is present. At increasing temperature the ortho fraction increases.

Online Hydrogen Thermal Conductivity Calculator

The calculator below can be used to estimate the thermal conductivity of hydrogen at given temperature and atmospheric pressure.

Estimates are based on numbers for "normal" hydrogen for T < 127°C/260°F, and numbers for para hydrogen for higher temperatures.

The output thermal conductivity is given as mW/(m K), Btu(IT)/(h ft °F), (Btu(IT) in)/(h ft²°F) and kcal(IT)/(h m K).

Temperature

Choose the actual unit of temperature: °C °F K °R

See also other properties of hydrogen at varying temperature and pressure: Density and specific weight and Specific heat (heat capacity), and Thermophysical properties at standard conditions,
as well as thermal conductivity o f air, ammonia, butane, carbon dioxide, ethane, ethylene, methane, nitrogen, propane and water . For thermal conductivity of construction materials, see related documents at the bottom of the page.

Thermal conductivity of normal hydrogen as function of temperature and pressure, given as °C and °F:

Hydrogen normal thermal conductivity pressure C

Thermal conductivity of para hydrogen as function of temperature and pressure, given as °C and °F:

Hydrogen para thermal conductivity pressure C

Thermal conductivity of para hydrogen at gas-liquid equilibrium pressure and varying temperature, given as °C and °F:

Hydrogen para thermal conductivity equlibrium C

Hydrogen para thermal conductivity equlibrium F

Thermal conductivity of para and normal hydrogen at given temperatures and pressure, SI and Imperial units:

For full table Hydrogen Thermal Conductivity - rotate the screen!

Hydrogen - Thermal Conductivity vs. Temperature and Pressure
State	Temperature			Pressure		Para Hydrogen - Thermal Conductivity			Normal Hydrogen - Thermal Conductivity

	(K)	(°C)	(°F)	(bar)	(psi)	(mW/m K)	(kcal(IT)/(h m K))	(Btu(IT)/(h ft °F))	(mW/m K)	(kcal(IT)/(h m K))	(Btu(IT)/(h ft °F))
Liquid at equilibrium	13.80	-259.35	-434.83	0.0704	1.02	75.3	0.0647	0.0435
	13.96	-259.19	-434.55	0.0770	1.12				76.3	0.0656	0.0441
	14	-259	-434	0.0789	1.14	76.9	0.0661	0.0444	76.7	0.0659	0.0443
	16	-257	-431	0.215	3.12	90.0	0.0774	0.0520	90.1	0.0775	0.0520
	18	-255	-427	0.481	6.97	98.4	0.0846	0.0568	98.4	0.0846	0.0569
	20	-253	-424	0.932	13.5	103	0.0886	0.0595	103	0.0886	0.0595
	22	-251	-420	1.63	23.7	105	0.0902	0.0606	105	0.0903	0.0607
	24	-249	-416	2.64	38.3	105	0.0900	0.0605	105	0.0899	0.0604
	26	-247	-413	4.03	58.4	103	0.0882	0.0593	103	0.0882	0.0592
	28	-245	-409	5.85	84.9	98.8	0.0849	0.0571	98.7	0.0848	0.0570
	30	-243	-406	8.50	123	92.8	0.0798	0.0536	92.5	0.0796	0.0535
	32	-241	-402	11.2	162	82.5	0.0710	0.0477	82.2	0.0707	0.0475
Gas at equilibrium	13.80	-259.35	-434.83	0.0704	1.02	10.5	0.00899	0.00604
	13.96	-259.19	-434.55	0.0770	1.12				10.4	0.00892	0.00599
	14	-259	-434	0.0789	1.14	10.7	0.00916	0.00615	10.4	0.00897	0.00603
	16	-257	-431	0.215	3.12	12.6	0.0108	0.00728	12.7	0.0109	0.00733
	18	-255	-427	0.481	6.97	14.6	0.0126	0.00844	14.7	0.0126	0.00848
	20	-253	-424	0.932	13.5	16.7	0.0144	0.0097	16.7	0.0144	0.00966
	22	-251	-420	1.63	23.7	19.0	0.0163	0.0110	19.0	0.0163	0.0110
	24	-249	-416	2.64	38.3	21.5	0.0185	0.0124	21.5	0.0185	0.0124
	26	-247	-413	4.03	58.4	24.5	0.0211	0.0142	24.5	0.0210	0.0141
	28	-245	-409	5.85	84.9	28.3	0.0243	0.0163	28.2	0.0242	0.0163
	30	-243	-406	8.50	123	33.5	0.0288	0.0193	33.4	0.0287	0.0193
	32	-241	-402	11.2	162	43.2	0.0371	0.0249	43.2	0.0371	0.0250

Liquid	20	-253	-424	1	14.5	103	0.0887	0.0596
Liquid	20.23	-252.9	-423.3	1	14.5	103	0.0889	0.0597
	20.23	-252.9	-423.3	1	14.5	17.0	0.0146	0.0098
	25	-248	-415	1	14.5				20.8	0.0179	0.0120
	40	-233	-388	1	14.5	31.9	0.0274	0.0184
	60	-213	-352	1	14.5	45.5	0.0391	0.0263
	80	-193	-316	1	14.5	61.4	0.0528	0.0355
	100	-173	-280	1	14.5	80.4	0.0692	0.0465	68.3	0.0588	0.0395
	120	-153	-244	1	14.5	101	0.0872	0.0586
	140	-133	-208	1	14.5	120	0.103	0.0692
	160	-113	-172	1	14.5	135	0.116	0.0779
	175	-98.2	-145	1	14.5				117	0.101	0.0677
	180	-93.2	-136	1	14.5	147	0.126	0.0846
	200	-73.2	-99.7	1	14.5	156	0.134	0.0899
	220	-53.2	-63.7	1	14.5	163	0.140	0.0944
	240	-33.2	-27.7	1	14.5	171	0.147	0.0986
	250	-23.2	-9.7	1	14.5				161	0.138	0.0928
	260	-13.2	8.3	1	14.5	178	0.153	0.103
	280	6.9	44.3	1	14.5	185	0.159	0.107
	300	26.9	80.3	1	14.5	192	0.165	0.111
	320	46.9	116	1	14.5	200	0.172	0.116
	325	51.9	125	1	14.5				198	0.170	0.114
	340	66.9	152	1	14.5	208	0.179	0.120
	360	86.9	188	1	14.5	216	0.186	0.125
	400	127	260	1	14.5	233	0.200	0.135	234	0.201	0.135
	500	227	440	1	14.5	275	0.236	0.159
	600	327	620	1	14.5	318	0.273	0.184
	700	427	800	1	14.5	361	0.310	0.208
	800	527	980	1	14.5	405	0.348	0.234
	900	627	1160	1	14.5	449	0.386	0.260
	1000	727	1340	1	14.5	494	0.425	0.286

Liquid	20	-253	-424	10	145	105	0.0904	0.0607
	25	-248	-415	10	145				107	0.0918	0.0617
	31.24	-241.9	-403.4	10	145	87.3	0.0750	0.0504	86.8	0.0747	0.0502
Gas	31.24	-241.9	-403.4	10	145	38.4	0.0331	0.0222
	40	-233	-388	10	145	37.3	0.0321	0.0215
	60	-213	-352	10	145	48.4	0.0416	0.0280
	80	-193	-316	10	145	63.7	0.0548	0.0368
	100	-173	-280	10	145	82.5	0.0709	0.0477	70.4	0.0605	0.0407
	120	-153	-244	10	145	103	0.0887	0.0596
	140	-133	-208	10	145	121	0.104	0.0700
	160	-113	-172	10	145	136	0.117	0.0786
	175	-98.2	-145	10	145				118	0.102	0.0684
	180	-93.2	-136	10	145	148	0.127	0.0853
	200	-73.2	-99.7	10	145	157	0.135	0.0905
	220	-53.2	-63.7	10	145	164	0.141	0.0949
	240	-33.2	-27.7	10	145	172	0.147	0.0991
	250	-23.2	-9.7	10	145				161	0.139	0.0933
	260	-13.2	8.3	10	145	179	0.154	0.103
	280	6.9	44.3	10	145	186	0.160	0.107
	300	26.9	80.3	10	145	193	0.166	0.112
	320	46.9	116	10	145	201	0.173	0.116
	325	51.9	125	10	145				198	0.171	0.115
	340	66.9	152	10	145	209	0.179	0.121
	360	86.9	188	10	145	217	0.187	0.125
	400	127	260	10	145	234	0.201	0.135	235	0.202	0.136
	500	227	440	10	145	276	0.237	0.159
	600	327	620	10	145	318	0.273	0.184
	700	427	800	10	145	361	0.311	0.209
	800	527	980	10	145	405	0.348	0.234
	900	627	1160	10	145	450	0.387	0.260
	1000	727	1340	10	145	495	0.425	0.286

Liquid	25	-248	-415	50	725				119	0.103	0.0690
Supercritical phase	100	-173	-280	50	725				80.4	0.069	0.0465
	175	-98.2	-145	50	725				124	0.106	0.0714
	250	-23.2	-9.7	50	725				165	0.142	0.0954
	325	51.9	125	50	725				201	0.173	0.116
	400	127	260	50	725				237	0.204	0.137

Liquid	20	-253	-424	100	1450	120	0.103	0.0695
Liquid	25	-248	-415	100	1450				131	0.113	0.0758
Supercritical phase	40	-233	-388	100	1450	122	0.105	0.0704
	60	-213	-352	100	1450	101	0.0865	0.0581
	80	-193	-316	100	1450	96.7	0.0832	0.0559
	100	-173	-280	100	1450	106	0.0914	0.0614	94.2	0.080994	0.0544
	120	-153	-244	100	1450	122	0.105	0.0703
	140	-133	-208	100	1450	137	0.117	0.0789
	160	-113	-172	100	1450	149	0.128	0.0863
	175	-98.2	-145	100	1450				130	0.112	0.0753
	180	-93.2	-136	100	1450	159	0.137	0.0921
	200	-73.2	-100	100	1450	167	0.144	0.0967
	220	-53.2	-63.7	100	1450	174	0.150	0.100
	240	-33.2	-27.7	100	1450	180	0.155	0.104
	250	-23.2	-9.7	100	1450				170	0.146	0.0982
	260	-13.2	8.3	100	1450	187	0.161	0.108
	280	6.9	44.3	100	1450	193	0.166	0.112
	300	26.9	80.3	100	1450	200	0.172	0.116
	320	46.9	116	100	1450	207	0.178	0.120
	325	51.9	125	100	1450				205	0.176	0.118
	340	66.9	152	100	1450	215	0.185	0.124
	360	86.9	188	100	1450	223	0.192	0.129
	400	127	260	100	1450	239	0.206	0.138	240	0.206	0.139
	500	227	440	100	1450	280	0.241	0.162
	600	327	620	100	1450	322	0.277	0.186
	700	427	800	100	1450	365	0.314	0.211
	800	527	980	100	1450	408	0.351	0.236
	900	627	1160	100	1450	452	0.389	0.261
	1000	727	1340	100	1450	497	0.428	0.287

Supercritical phase	100	-173	-280	500	7252				192	0.165	0.111
	175	-98.2	-145	500	7252				190	0.163	0.110
	250	-23.2	-9.7	500	7252				212	0.182	0.122
	325	51.9	125	500	7252				238	0.204	0.137
	400	127	260	500	7252				267	0.230	0.154