Measurement of the Thermal Diffusivity of a Tire Compound by Mean of Infrared Optical Technique

A new technique for the determination of the thermal diffusivity of a tyre compound is proposed. The diffusivity is defined as the ratio between the thermal conductivity and the product of the specific heat and density. This technique is based on infrared measurement and successive analysis of the tyre cooling. Tyre samples were heated up by a laser at constant power rate and the heating and the next cooling of the tyres were registered versus time by mean of thermocouples and infrared cameras. Determination of the thermal diffusivity was thus estimated by mean of home-made model. The research activity was carried out in the laboratories of the department of Mechanics and Energetics of the University of Naples Federico II, in cooperation with the Combustion Institute of the CNR in Naples.