Abstract: A thermometric powder metal material for testing to replicate an actual powder material during use of the actual powder metal material in an internal combustion engine is provided. The thermometric powder metal material includes pores and has a decrease in hardness as a function of temperature according to the following equation: D Hardness/D Temperature=>0.5 HV/° C. The properties of the actual powder metal material, when the actual powder metal is used in an internal combustion engine, can be estimated using the thermometric powder metal material by first adjusting the thermal conductivity of the thermometric powder metal material or controlling the porosity of the thermometric powder metal material to replicate the actual powder metal material, and then subjecting thermometric powder metal material to an engine test. For example, the thermal conductivity can be adjusted by infiltrating the thermometric powder metal material with copper.