Thermal conductivity of diborides of group IV-VI transition metals

Room-temperature and high-temperature measurements (up to 2300 deg K) were made on the diborides of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, and Cr. Hot-pressed powder samples were used, and metallographic and x-ray diffraction analyses confirmed that the compounds consisted of only one phase each. The thermal conductivity of all the borides increased with temperature increase, explained by the electron component's becoming larger. (LMT)