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CRYOGENIC
ENGINEERING III
LOW TEMPERATURE PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

Thermal Properties

Thermal Expansion/Contraction

Specific Heat of Solids

Thermal Conductivity

Thermal Expansion/Contraction
The

linear coefficient of thermal expansion is

the fractional change in length per unit change
in temperature while the stress is constant.

In

general, the coefficient of thermal

expansion (t) decreases with the decrease in
temperature.

Most

contraction occurs till 80 K.

Thermal Expansion/Contraction

Internal energy is low

cryogenic temperature.

at

So the atoms vibrations will be

less and so intermolecular
distance will be low.

Hence, the coefficient of thermal

expansion (t) increases with
the increase in temperature.

Specific Heat
It

is the energy required to change the

temperature of a unit mass of substance by 1
C, holding the volume or pressure as constant.

Debye

treated
continuum.

solid

as

an

infinite

elastic

parabolic frequency distribution was derived

for the atoms vibrating in lattice.

Debye Theory
The

Debye model gives the following

expression for the lattice heat capacity per
mole.

is called Debye Function.

is called as Debye Characteristic Temperature

Debye Theory
At

high temperatures (T > 2), specific heat

obtained from the above equation approaches
3R. This is called as Dulong and Petit Value.

At

low temperatures (T < /12), the Debye

function approaches a constant value of D(0)
=4/5.

Debye Theory
specific

heat decreases
with the decrease in
temperature.

The

variation is a cubic
equation
in
absolute
temperature at very low
temperatures.

Thermal Conductivity

Thermal conductivity, k, is the

property of a material which
indicates its ability to conduct
heat.

In general, k decreases with the

decrease in the temperature.

However, for pure metals the

variation is slightly different
from that of impure metals and
alloys.

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Conduction in Pure Metals

The

Electron and Phonon motion cause heat

conduction.

The

contribution of electron motion to heat

conduction is predominant above LN2
temperature.

Conduction

depends on the product of

electronic specific heat and mean free path.

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Conduction in Pure Metals

This product being a constant above LN2, the k

remains constant above LN2.

As the temperature is lowered, phonon contribution

increases and k also increases

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Conduction in Pure Metals

It

reaches a high value until the mean free

path of the electrons equals to the dimensions
of test specimen.

When

this condition is reached, the surface

exhibits a resistance causing the k to
decrease.

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Impure & Alloy Metals

An

additional scattering of electrons occur

due to grain boundaries and dislocations
which is proportional to and respectively, at
temperatures lower than

At

low temperatures, scattering decreases. As

a result, k decreases with decrease in
temperature.

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Electric Properties

Decreasing
the
temperature
decreases the vibration energy of the
ions.
This
results
in
smaller
interference with electron motion.

Therefore, electrical conductivity of

the metallic conductors increases at
low temperature.

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Superconductivity

The state of the SC is governed

by Temperature (K), Current
Density (A/mm2) and Magnetic
Field (Tesla).

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Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer Theory

Electron being a negatively charged particle, moves

easily through the space between the adjacent rows
of positively charged ions.

This motion is assisted by the electrostatic force

which pulls the electrons inward.

In SC state, the electrons interact with each other and

form a pair. This interaction is a very low energy
process (0.1 eV) called as phonon interaction.

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Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer Theory
The

electron pair so formed moves easily and

the second electron follows the first electron
during the motion. As a result, this electron
pair travelling together, encounters less
resistance.

This

electron pair is called as a Cooper Pair.

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High Tc and Low Tc Materials

Superconducting

materials
distinguished depending upon
critical temperature they exhibit.

the

are
the

materials
having
transition
temperature above 77 K are called as
High Tc materials.

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Meisner Effect

At room temperature, if a material is

subjected to a magnetic flux, the flux lines
of force penetrate through the material.

As soon as the material becomes

superconducting, it repels the magnetic flux
lines.

This phenomenon
Effect.

is

called

as

Meisner