Material Characterization with gSKIN® Heat Flux Sensors.
Thermal Material Characterization.
Thermal material characterization often relies solely on temperature sensors to identify thermal patterns and trends across different materials. While temperature measurements can be sufficient for basic assessments, they provide limited insights into how heat actually flows through a material.
By measuring heat flux directly, gSKIN® allows users to quantify how much heat is transferred through a material. They can also:
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Determine thermal conductivity under real operating conditions.
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Compare insulation performance of different materials and configurations.
- Analyze thermal interface materials, and their effectiveness in transferring or blocking heat.
- Evaluate phase change materials, aerogels, and other complex composites.
Phase Change Materials
By using gSKIN® heat flux sensors, you can better understand how Phase Change Materials (PCMs) store and release heat. Measuring heat flow is especially important for PCMs because their performance depends not only on the material itself, but also on how it is used and integrated into a system.
Our gSKIN® heat flux sensors help to quantify the heat flow into and from your heat exchanging system. This makes it easier to:
- Understand how well a PCM stores and releases heat.
- Compare different PCM options or system designs.
- Validate real-world performance.
- Design and integrate effective PCM solutions.
Aerogels
Aerogels are used in applications where maximum insulation performance and minimum weight are required. They are widely applied in energy systems, electronics, buildings, and advanced thermal management. However, their extremely low conductivity makes performance difficult to verify using temperature measurements alone.
gSKIN® heat flux sensors directly measure heat transfer through aerogels, providing a true picture of their insulating capability. They are able to:
- Validate real insulation performance.
- Compare different aerogel materials or thicknesses.
- Confirm suitability for real-world applications.
- Support R&D and material selections.
Want to learn more about our various heat flux sensors for R&D purposes?
gSKIN®-XM
Best for performing reliable heat flux measurements under controlled conditions.
gSKIN®-XP
Best for balancing both size and sensitivity and providing a reliable compromise.
gSKIN®-XI
Best for measuring very small heat fluxes where precision matters the most.
gSKIN®-XO
Best for determining the heat flux from air into various materials, or vice versa.
Explore peer-reviewed material characterization publications using our heat flux sensors:
"Heat flux pattern matching using numerical model to reduce required measurement duration for U-value." (2026).
Authors: Jae-Sol Choi, Eui-Jong Kim
Read More!"Enhanced thermal insulation performance of silica aerogel composites through infrared opacifier integration for high-temperature applications." (2025).
Authors: Beatriz Merillas, Clàudio M. R. Almeida, Tomás Enrique Gómez Álvarez-Arenas, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez-Pérez, Luisa Durães.
Read More!"Reduced-scale Hot Box design and validation for insulating material's thermal conductivity evaluation." (2025).
Authors: Ismael Sánchez-Calderón, Adrián Rojo-Fuente, Judith Martín-de-León, Miguel Angel Rodriguez-Pérez, Victoria Bernardo
Read More!"Sustainable Development of Grade 2 Listed Dwellings: A Wall Replication Method with Slim Wheat Straw Panels for Heritage Retrofitting." (2025).
Authors: Farres Yasser, Hynda Aoun Klalib, Amira Elnokaly, Anton Ianakiev
Read More!"Studying the Size-Dependence of Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs) in the Final Properties of Polyurethane Aerogels: Thermal Insulation and Mechanical Strength." (2024).
Authors: Jaime Lledó, Judith Martín-de León, Tomás E. Gómez Álvarez-Arenas, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez-Pérez, Beatriz Merillas
Read More!"Towards the optimization of polyurethane aerogel properties by densification: Exploring the structure - properties relationship." (2024).
Authors: Beatriz Merillas, Carlos A. García-González, Tomás Enrique Gómez Álvarez-Arenas, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez-Pérez
Read More!"Revealing the Impact of Depth and Surface Property Variations on Infrared Detection of Delamination in Concrete Structures Under Natural Environmental Conditions." (2024).
Authors: Chongsheng Cheng, Dequan Chen, Shuai Shao, Ri Na, Haonan Cai, Hongwen Zhou and Bo Wu
Read More!"Experimental study of the unconstrained melting of a phase change material for air-conditioning applications." (2023).
Authors: Shamir H. Iskandar, Jonathan Cofré-Toledo, Francisco A. Cataño, Roberto Ortega-Aguilera, Diego A. Vasco
Read More!"Improving the Insulating Capacity of Polyurethane Foams through Polyurethane Aerogel to Superinsulation." (2022).
Authors: Beatriz Merillas, Fernando Villafañe, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez-Pérez.
Read More!"Silica-Based Aerogel Composites Reinforced with Reticulated Polyurethane Foams: Thermal and Mechanical Properties." (2022).
Authors: Beatriz Merillas, Alyne Lamy-Mendes, Fernando Villafañe, Luisa Durães, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez-Pérez
Read More!"Textile waste-reinforced cotton-silica aerogel composites for moisture regulation and thermal/acoustic barrier." (2022).
Authors: Teresa Linhares, Vitor H. Carneiro, Beatriz Merillas, Maria T. Pessoa de Amorim & Luisa Durães
Read More!"Thermoregulating gypsums by using nanoencapsulated phase change material slurry." (2022).
Authors: Daniel López Pedrajas, Ana M. Borreguero Simón, I. Garrido Sáenz, F. Javier Ramos, Juan F. Rodríguez Romero & Manuel Carmona Franco
Read More!"Enabling Highly Efficient Solar Thermal Generation with 800°C-Stable Transparent Refractory Aerogels." (2021).
Authors: Zachary J. Berquist, Andrew J. Gayle, Neil P. Dasgupta, Andrej Lenert.
Read More!"Diffusion of Shape Stabilized PEG-SiO2 as a Driver for Producing Thermoregulating Facing Bricks." (2021).
Authors: Angel Serrano, Ana M. Borreguero, Isabel Iglesias, Anselmo Acosta, Juan F. Rodríguez, Manuel Carmona
Read More!"Establishing the impact of orientation on the thermal transmission values of solid wall properties in a coastal situation.." (2024).
Authors: Jason Ratcliffe, Matthew Fox, Steve Goodhew
Read More!Explore our other gSKIN® application areas.
Explore our further application areas, including battery calorimetry, calorimetry, heat transfer measurements, and extreme environment applications.
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