Cryogenic Material Properties Database

Abstract

NIST has published at least two references compiling cryogenic material properties. These include the Handbook on Materials for Superconducting Machinery and the LNG Materials & Fluids. Neither has been updated since 1977 and are currently out of print. While there is a great deal of published data on cryogenic material properties, it is often difficult to find and not in a form that is convenient to use. We have begun a new program to collect, compile, and correlate property information for materials used in cryogenics. The initial phase of this program has focused on picking simple models to use for thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, and specific heat. We have broken down the temperature scale into four ranges: a) less than 4 K, b) 4 K to 77 K, c) 77 K to 300 K, and d) 300 K to the melting point. Initial materials that we have compiled include oxygen free copper, 6061-T6 aluminum, G-10 fiberglass epoxy, 718 Inconel, Kevlar, niobium titanium (NbTi), beryllium copper, polyamide (nylon), polyimide, 304 stainless steel, Teflon, and Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy. Correlations are given for each material and property over some of the temperature range. We will continue to add new materials and increase the temperature range. We hope to offer these material properties as subroutines that can be called from your own code or from within commercial software packages. We will also identify where new measurements need to be made to give complete property prediction from 50 mK to the melting point.