• Aluminum is widely used because of its low cost, relative strength and low weight.Aluminum cans on end image by Jeffrey Studio from Fotolia.com
  
  Thermal conductivity is defined as the amount of heat that passes through a material when one side's temperature is one degree kelvin higher than the other. In other words, it is the rate at which heat moves through the material. Aluminum has a high thermal conductivity relative to other materials.
  
  

Thermal conductivity of aluminum

• The thermal conductivity of aluminum near room temperature, 25°C, is 250 watts per kelvin per meter.
  
  

Aluminum compared to other metals.

• Aluminum has a higher thermal conductivity at 25°C than carbon steel (54), iron (80), nickel (91), and brass (109). It has a lower thermal conductivity than gold (310), copper (401), and silver (429). In metals, thermal conductivity is generally related to electrical conductivity. Good conductors such as copper have higher thermal conductivities.
  
  

Aluminum compared to non-metals

• As a metal, aluminum's thermal conductivity is higher than non-metallic substances. Air has a thermal conductivity of 0.024 compared to aluminum's 250. Asphalt has a thermal conductivity of 0.75, while concrete's thermal conductivity ranges from 0.42 to 1.7, depending on grade. Glass has a thermal conductivity of 1.05, while porcelain has a thermal conductivity of 1.5.