Thermal conductivity the list of thermal conductivities. These should be considered approximate due to the uncertainties related to material definitions. High energy generation rates within electronics or turbines require the use of materials with high thermal conductivity such as copper "(see: Copper in heat exchangers)", aluminium, and silver. On the other hand, materials with low thermal conductance, such as polystyrene foam and fire brick, are used in building construction or in furnaces in an effort to slow the flow of heat, i.e. for insulation purposes. The reciprocal of thermal conductivity is "thermal resistivity", usually expressed in kelvin-meters per watt (K⋅m⋅W). For a
Thermal conductivity is reduced, with this behaviour governed by the Knudsen number, defined as formula_27, where formula_28 is the mean free path of gas molecules and formula_29 is the typical gap size of the space filled by the gas. In a granular material formula_29 corresponds to the characteristic size of the gaseous phase in the pores or intergranular spaces. Isotopically pure diamond can have a significantly higher thermal conductivity, increasing from 2,200 W·m·K (for pure natural diamond, 98.9% C) to 3,320 (for 99.9% enriched), possibly 41,000; with 200,000 "predicted" for 99.999% C.) At the atomic level, there are no simple, correct expressions