Klein Tools IR5A Instruction Manual page 8

ENGLISH
EMISSIVITY
Emissivity is a measure of the ability of a surface to emit thermal
energy by radiation. Different types of surfaces (metals, masonry,
wood, etc.) emit thermal energy through radiation at different
efficiencies. Accordingly, these materials have different emissivity
coefficients which must be considered in order to make accurate
measurements with an infrared thermometer.
Emissivity on the IR5A may be adjusted from 0.10 to 1.00 to enable
accurate measurement of the temperature of most types of materials.
Generally speaking, shiny bright surfaces such as chrome, white
boards, etc. exhibit lower emissivity than flat black materials.
For guidance only, the chart below may be used to estimate
emissivity for many different types of materials. However, the
emissivity of surfaces is dependent upon many parameters such as
surface finish, temperature, shape of the object, etc.
This chart should be used for guidance only.
Material
Asphalt
Red brick
Gray brick
Porcelain ceramic
Fired clay
Rough concrete
Cotton cloth
Smooth glass
Granite
Gravel
Smooth ice
Smooth white marble
Black paint
Hard rubber
Wood
Matte copper
Commercial sheet aluminum
Cold rolled steel
Find a comprehensive list of emissivity values at
https://www.kleintools.com/emissivity.
8
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Emissivity
0.93
0.93
0.75
0.92
0.91
0.94
0.77
0.92 - 0.94
0.45
0.28
0.97
0.56
0.96
0.94
0.80 - 0.90
0.22
0.09
0.75 - 0.85