Some Thermal and Electrical Properties of Candelilla Wax

Abstract

We report the values of some thermal and electrical properties of Candelilla Wax (euphorbia cerifera). The open-cell photoacoustic technique and another photothermic technique - based on the measure of the temperature decay of a heated sample - were employed to obtain the thermal diffusivity ($\alpha_{s} = 0.026 \pm 0.00095 {cm}^{2}{/sec}$) as well as the thermal conductivity ($k=2.132 \pm 0.16 {W/mK}$) of this wax. The Kelvin null method was used to measure the dark decay of the surface potential of the sample after a Corona Discharge, obtaining a resistivity of $\rho_e=5.98 \pm 0.19 \times 10^{17} {ohm-cm}$.