High temperature thermal conductivity measurements on lanthanum sulfides using the flash method

In the past, high temperature specific heat and hence thermal conductivity measurements, using the flash method have not been very accurate. This is due to the difficulty of exactly determining the amount of heat deposited on the front face of a sample during each flash. This problem has now been solved by sputtering a thin layer of graphite on the standard reference and test samples. Data taken shows that the amount of heat deposited can now be determined to within about 2 percent resulting in more accurate thermal conductivity data. The results of measurements on several lanthanum sulfides with stoichiometries between LaS(1.35) and LaS(1.48) are reported and show a minimum in the lattice thermal conductivity at a composition of around LaS(1.41). This is believed to be due to the scattering of low-frequency phonons by large defects, i.e., second phase material (beta-phase) and pores.