Heat Sensitivity of the Skin to Wood and Other Materials

This paper concerns the sensory perception associated with a transfer of heat between the skin and a material object. It answers such questions as to what makes a hickory or oak handle feel comfortable to the touch while a metal handle at relatively the same temperature is too hot for comfort. Why does a tile floor feel colder than a wood floor? Recently, W. F. Roeser, National Bureau of Standards, approached the problem through the solution of a partial differential equation involving heat capacity, density, and thermal conductivity of both the skin and the implement. He suggests a simple algebraic equation that may be used for rating various substances in accordance with human sensory perception of heat and cold. A table is presented of thermal constants and calculated thermal sensitivity of aluminium, iron, concrete, oak, and Douglas-fir. In the higher temperature range, an implement made of Douglas-fir or other species could be handled without undue discomfort at a temperature of about 175? to 180?F., whereas a piece of aluminium would be definitely uncomfortable at a temperature of more than 120?F.

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