Convert thermal conductivity units — W/(m·K), BTU/(h·ft·°F), cal/(s·cm·°C) and more.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| W/(m·K) | Watt/(Meter·Kelvin) | 1000 |
| BTU/(h·ft·°F) | BTU/(Hour·Foot·°F) | 577.79087 |
| cal/(s·cm·°C) | Calorie/(Second·cm·°C) | 2.388459 |
| kcal/(h·m·°C) | Kilocalorie/(Hour·m·°C) | 859.84523 |
Formula: W/(m·K) = kW/(m·K) × 1000
Multiply any kW/(m·K) value by 1000 to get W/(m·K).
Reverse: kW/(m·K) = W/(m·K) × 0.001
Copper reference: 0.401 kW/(m·K) = 401 W/(m·K)
Factor: 1 kW/(m·K) = 1000 W/(m·K)
| kW/(m·K) (kW/(m·K)) | W/(m·K) (W/(m·K)) | Material |
|---|---|---|
| 2.2 kW/(m·K) | 2200 W/(m·K) | Diamond |
| 0.429 kW/(m·K) | 429 W/(m·K) | Silver |
| 0.401 kW/(m·K) | 401 W/(m·K) | Copper |
| 0.318 kW/(m·K) | 318 W/(m·K) | Gold |
| 0.237 kW/(m·K) | 237 W/(m·K) | Aluminum |
| 0.052 kW/(m·K) | 52 W/(m·K) | Cast iron |
| 0.05 kW/(m·K) | 50 W/(m·K) | Steel (carbon) |
| 0.0025 kW/(m·K) | 2.5 W/(m·K) | Marble |
| 0.0017 kW/(m·K) | 1.7 W/(m·K) | Concrete |
| 0.001 kW/(m·K) | 1 W/(m·K) | Glass |
| 0.0006 kW/(m·K) | 0.6 W/(m·K) | Water (20°C) |
| 0.00017 kW/(m·K) | 0.17 W/(m·K) | Wood (oak) |
| 4.000e-05 kW/(m·K) | 0.04 W/(m·K) | Fiberglass batt |
| 2.600e-05 kW/(m·K) | 0.026 W/(m·K) | Air (25°C) |
| 1.500e-05 kW/(m·K) | 0.015 W/(m·K) | Aerogel |
kW/(m·K) × 1,000 = W/(m·K).
1 kW/(m·K) = 1,000 W/(m·K). 2.2 kW/(m·K) = 2,200 W/(m·K) (diamond).
W/(m·K) ÷ 1,000 = kW/(m·K).
Specifies insulation and wall assembly thermal conductivity in W/(m·K) for energy compliance calculations.
Uses BTU/(h·ft·°F) for US building code compliance and W/(m·K) for metric heat transfer calculations.
Compares thermal conductivity of metals, polymers, and composites in W/(m·K) for thermal management design.
Selects thermal interface materials and heatsinks using conductivity data in W/(m·K).
Designs heat exchangers using shell and tube thermal conductivity specifications in W/(m·K).
Measures and reports thermal conductivity of novel materials (graphene, CNTs, aerogels) in W/(m·K) or kW/(m·K).
Kilowatt per meter per kelvin (kW/(m·K)) equals 1,000 W/(m·K) and is used for highly thermally conductive materials. Diamond at 2.2 kW/(m·K) and silver at 0.429 kW/(m·K) are examples where kW/(m·K) provides convenient values.
kW/(m·K) is used in research papers and data tables for metallic and crystalline materials with very high conductivity. Carbon nanotubes can reach 3–6 kW/(m·K) along their axis — the highest known at room temperature.
Interesting fact: Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms, has a thermal conductivity of about 4–5 kW/(m·K) in-plane — the highest of any known material. This makes it a promising material for next-generation thermal management in electronics.
Watt per meter per kelvin (W/(m·K)) is the SI unit of thermal conductivity. It measures the rate of heat transfer through a material of 1 meter thickness per kelvin of temperature difference per unit area. It was formally defined with the SI system in 1960.
W/(m·K) is universally used in engineering and science for specifying material thermal properties. Key values: air = 0.026 W/(m·K); water = 0.6 W/(m·K); glass = 1.0 W/(m·K); concrete = 1.7 W/(m·K); steel = 50 W/(m·K); copper = 401 W/(m·K); diamond = 2,200 W/(m·K).
Interesting fact: Diamond has the highest thermal conductivity of any natural material at about 2,200 W/(m·K) — nearly 6× that of copper and 85,000× that of air. This is why diamond heatsinks are used in high-power laser diodes and some semiconductor devices.
Thermal conductivity measures how readily a material conducts heat. The SI unit W/(m·K) is universal in science; US building codes use BTU/(h·ft·°F); older European engineering uses kcal/(h·m·°C); CGS physics uses cal/(s·cm·K). Key anchors: air 0.026 W/(m·K), glass 1.0, steel 50, copper 401, diamond 2,200.
Exact factor: 1 kW/(m·K) = 1000 W/(m·K). Reverse: 1 W/(m·K) = 0.001 kW/(m·K).
All conversions use IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic, accurate to at least 8 significant figures.