Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of Moisture-Dependent Thermal Conductivity of Lightweight Ceramic Bricks

The moisture-dependent thermal conductivity of two types of lightweight ceramic brick body is analyzed using both theoretical and experimental approaches. The basic physical properties are determined at first. Then, an impulse method is applied for the thermal-conductivity measurement. Initially, the material samples are dried, after that, they are exposed to liquid water for specific time intervals, and finally the moisture content is allowed to homogenize within the whole volume. The thermal-conductivity measurement is performed for different moisture contents achieved in this way. In the theoretical part, the homogenization principles are used for the calculation of the moisture-dependent thermal conductivity, utilizing the distribution functions based on the pore-size distribution measurement. Finally, a comparison of the measured and calculated data is done, and the validity of the applied effective media treatment is assessed.