Thermal Resistivity and Conductivity

Thermal resistance is the ability of a material to resist flow of heat. Thermal resistivity is the reciprocal of thermal conductivity and can be expressed as

r = 1 / k                                (1)

where

r = thermal resistivity (m^oC/W, hr ft^{2 o}F/(Btu in))

k = thermal conductivity (W/(m^oC), Btu in/(hr ft^{2 o}F))

Thermal conductivity - k - is the property of a material indicating its ability to conduct heat.