Noncontact Measurement of Resistivity of Molten Material

It is now possible to determine the electrical resistivity of a molten sample of a pure, electrically conductive material (a metal or semiconductor), without contact between the sample or any solid object. Once the electrical resistivity has been determined, the thermal conductivity can be estimated by use of the Wiedemann-Franz-Lorenz law. (For molten materials, thermal conductivities estimated in this way are often more accurate than are thermal conductivities determined by direct measurements, because direct thermal measurements are often distorted by convection.)