Prediction of threshold pain skin temperature from thermal properties of materials in contact.

Aerospace design engineers have long sought concrete data with respect to the thermal safety of materials in contact with human skin. A series of studies on this subject has been completed and some of the results have been reported earlier. In these studies over 2,000 observations were made of pain threshold during contact with materials at elevated temperatures. Six materials were used representing the full range of thermal properties from good conductors to good insulators. Previous reports gave methods for determining the maximum permissible temperatures for any material in safe contact with bare skin for 1-5 s solely from a knowledge of its thermal properties. This report presents the comparison of the theoretical and experimental contact temperatures at pain threshold and provides a method for deriving the skin temperature productive of threshold pain from the thermal properties of any material within the range of those studies. Ratios reflecting the heat transfer coefficient associated with the materials in contact are related to their thermal properties so that the skin temperature at pain threshold may be determined from that calculated from heat transfer theory. Tabular and graphical representation of these data permits interpolation within the range of properties so that any material of known thermal conductivity, density and specific heat may be assessed with respect to its effect on the skin temperature during contact to the end point of pain. These data, in conjunction with those already reported, constitute a system for the complete assessment of the thermal aspects of practically any material suitable for construction and manufacturing applications with respect to safe contact with human skin.