Oxide materials with low thermal conductivity

A heuristic approach to identifying candidate materials with low, temperature-independent thermal conductivity above room temperature is described. On the basis of this approach, a number of compounds with thermal conductivities lower than that of 8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia and fused silica have been found. Three compounds, in particular, the Zr3Y4O12 delta phase, the tungsten bronzes, and the La2Mo2O9 phase, exhibit potential for low thermal conductivity applications. As each can exhibit extensive substitutional solid solution with other, high atomic mass ions, there is the prospect that many more compounds with low thermal conductivity will be discovered.