TABLE 32.

17

Typical Emissivities of Different Materials (from 0 to 100C)

Material

Emissivity

Material

Emissivity

Blackbody (ideal)
Cavity radiator
Aluminum (anodized)
Aluminum (oxidized)
Aluminum (polished)
Aluminum (rough surface)
Asbestos
Brass (dull tarnished)
Brass (polished)
Brick
Bronze (polished)
Carbon-filled latex paint
Carbon lamp black
Chromium (polished)
Copper (oxidized)
Copper (polished)
Cotton cloth
Epoxy resin
Glass
Gold
Gold-black
Graphite

1.00
0.991.00
0.70
0.11
0.05
0.060.07
0.96
0.61
0.05
0.90
0.10
0.96
0.96
0.10
0.60.7
0.02
0.80
0.95
0.95
0.02
0.980.99
0.70.8

Green leaves
Ice
Iron or steel (rusted)
Nickel (oxidized)
Nickel (unoxidized)
Nichrome (80Ni-20Cr) (oxidized)
Nichrome (80Ni-20Cr) (polished)
Oil
Silicon
Silicone rubber
Silver (polished)
Skin (human)
Snow
Soil
Stainless steel (buffed)
Steel (flat rough surface)
Steel (ground)
Tin plate
Water
White paper
Wood
Zinc (polished)

0.88
0.96
0.70
0.40
0.04
0.97
0.87
0.80
0.64
0.94
0.02
0.930.96
0.85
0.90
0.20
0.950.98
0.56
0.10
0.96
0.92
0.93
0.04

Unlike most solid bodies, gases in many cases are transparent to thermal radiation. When they absorb
and emit radiation, they usually do so only in certain narrow spectral bands. Some gases, such as N2,
O2 , and others of nonpolar symmetrical molecular structure, are essentially transparent at low temperatures, while CO2 , H2O, and various hydrocarbon gases radiate and absorb to an appreciable extent.
When infrared light enters a layer of gas, its absorption has an exponential decay profile, governed by
Beers law:

x
= e x
0

(32.98)

where 0 = Incident thermal flux

x = Flux at thickness x
= Spectral coefficient of absorption
The above ratio is called a monochromatic transmissivity at a specific wavelength . If gas is nonreflecting, then its emissivity is defined as:

= 1 = 1 e x

(32.99)

It should be emphasized that since gases absorb only in narrow bands, emissivity and transmissivity
(transparency) must be specified separately for any particular wavelength. For example, water vapor is
highly absorptive at wavelengths of 1.4, 1.8, and 2.7 m, and is very transparent at 1.6, 2.2, and 4 m.
All non-metals are very good diffusive emitters of thermal radiation with a remarkably constant
emissivity defined by Equation 32.97 within a solid angle of about 70. Beyond that angle, emissivity
begins to decrease rapidly to zero with the angle approaching 90. Near 90, emissivity is very low. A
typical calculated graph of the directional emissivity of non-metals into air is shown in Figure 32.50A.
It should be emphasized that the above considerations are applicable only to wavelengths in the far
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