Emissivity Table
The accuracy of the following emissivity values cannot be guaranteed as the emissivity of a surface will not only change based on texture and colour, but also based on the actual temperature at the time of measurement. It’s always recommended that thermographers compare these values with data from an accurate surface probe or similar equipment before undertaking any thermal imaging.
| Material | Emissivity |
|---|---|
| Aluminium (Polished) | 0.05 |
| Aluminium (Oxidised) | 0.30 |
| Aluminium (Foil) | 0.09 |
| Asbestos | 0.96 |
| Brass (Polished) | 0.03 |
| Brass (Common) | 0.85 |
| Brick (Red, Rough) | 0.93 |
| Brick (Fire Clay) | 0.75 |
| Bronze (Polished) | 0.10 |
| Bronze (Rough) | 0.55 |
| Cloth (Rough) | 0.98 |
| Concrete | 0.92 |
| Chipboard (Untreated) | 0.98 |
| Clay | 0.91 |
| Copper (Polished) | 0.02 |
| Copper (Scraped) | 0.07 |
| Fibre Board (Untreated) | 0.85 |
| Gold (Polished) | 0.01 |
| Granite (Polished) | 0.84 |
| Granite (Rough) | 0.87 |
| Gravel | 0.28 |
| Iron & Steel (Polished) | 0.07 |
| Iron & Steel (Heavily Rusted) | 0.69 |
| Lacquer (Black, Dull) | 0.97 |
| Limestone (Natural) | 0.96 |
| Mortar | 0.87 |
| P.V.C | 0.91 |
| Paint (White, Plastic) | 0.84 |
| Paint (Black, Plastic) | 0.95 |
| Paper (Black) | 0.90 |
| Paper (White) | 0.68 |
| Plaster | 0.86 |
| Plasterboard (Untreated) | 0.90 |
| Plastic (Black) | 0.95 |
| Plastic (White) | 0.84 |
| Plexiglass | 0.86 |
| Plywood | 0.83 |
| Polyproylene | 0.97 |
| Rubber | 0.95 |
| Sand | 0.90 |
| Skin (Human) | 0.95 |
| Snow | 0.80 |
| Soil | 0.92 |
| Styrofoam | 0.60 |
| Tape (Electrical) | 0.97 |
| Tape (Masking) | 0.92 |
| Water | 0.95 |
| Wood (Planed) | 0.90 |
Want to learn more about emissivity?
The values represented in this emissivity table are recommendations only.
iRed® accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of this information.
