Thermal conductivity
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The thermal conductivity of a material is a measure of its ability to conduct heat. It is commonly denoted by k', λ, or κ.
General
Heat transfer occurs at a lower rate in materials of low thermal conductivity than in materials of high thermal conductivity. For instance, metals typically have high thermal conductivity and are very efficient at conducting heat, while the opposite is true for insulating materials like styrofoam. Correspondingly, materials of high thermal conductivity (like metals) are widely used in heat sink applications and materials of low thermal conductivity (like asbestos) are used as thermal insulation. The reciprocal of thermal conductivity is called thermal resistivity.
