THERMAL DIFFUSIVITY AND PRANDTL NUMBER OF LIQUID MERCURY AND POTASSIUM FROM MELTING POINT TO CRITICAL POINT

The thermal diffusivities and Prandtl numbers of potassium and mercury are given from the melting point to the critical point and compared with an ideal liquid-argon. They have been calculated for a substantial part of the liquid range from experimental data of all variables defining the thermal diffusivity and Prandtl number. They have been estimated up to the critical point based on a number of published data, primarily in this Journal, except the specific heats which have been estimated up to the critical point in this paper. In spite of the large range of absolute values for the Prandlt number, by a factor of over 500, between K and Ar, the agreement between the curves of the two metals and Ar is gratifying. © 1969.