Total Emissivities (e) of various surfaces Surface Temp degrees F Total emissivity Asbestoes board/Asbestoes paper 100 - 700 0.95 Brick Red, building 70 0.93 Refractory 1100 - 1800 0.7 - 0.9 Silica 1800 - 2000 0.8 - 0.85 Metals Al highly polished 400 - 1100 0.039 - 0.057 rough plate 70 0.055 oxidised at 1100 F 400 - 1100 0.11 - 0.19 Brass highly polished 500 0.03 rolled plate 70 0.06 oxidised at 1100 F 400 - 1100 0.06 Copper polished 200 0.02 heavily oxidised by heating 70 0.78 liquid 2000 - 3000 0.16 - 0.13 Iron and Steel electrolytic iron, highly polished 350 - 400 0.052 - 0.064 freshly machined 70 0.44 rolled sheet steel, oxidised 70 0.66 rough ingot iron 1700 - 2040 0.87 - 0.95 liquid iron or steel 0.28 Lead pure unoxidised 260 - 440 0.057 - 0.075 gray oxidised 70 0.28 Pt pure polished plate 440 - 1200 0.054 - 0.104 wire 440 - 2500 0.073 - 0.182 Painted and lacquered surfaces: Black shiny lacquer, sprayed on iron 70 0.875 Black lacquer 100 - 200 0.80 - 0.95 Flat black lacquer 100 - 200 0.96 - 0.98 White lacquer 100 - 200 0.80 - 0.95 Oil paints, all colours 212 0.92 - 0.96 Aluminium paints and lacquers 212 0.27 - 0.67 Water 32 - 212 0.95 - 0.96 (data date 1942)