Have a function take a string and an number as an input?

I am trying to create a function that can take a name of an alloy of metal and a temperature and calculate the thermal conductivity, I'm having issues getting the function to accept the script. This is the code I have so far.

    function [alloy,T] = ThCond(alloy,T)

          switch alloy
              case 'Al2'
                      if (298 <= T) && (T <= 840)
                          k = 149.7 + 0.0809.*T - (1.*10^(-4)).*(T.^2);

                          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k')
                      elseif (298 <= T) && (T <= 773)
                          k = 76.64 + 0.2633.*T - (2.*10^(-4)).*(T^2);

                          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k')
                      else
                          disp('Invalid Temperature Input!');
                      end
               case 'Al3'
                      if (293 <= T) && (T <= 890)
                          k = 124.7 + 0.56.*T + (1*10^(-5)).*(T^2);

                          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k')
                      else
                          disp('Invalid Temperature Input!'); 
                      end
                case 'Cu1'
                      if (100 <= T) && (T <= 1200)
                          k = 453.9 - 0.1054.*T;

                          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k')
                      else
                          disp('Invalid Temperature Input!');
                      end

              case 'Cu2'
                      if (460 <= T) && (T <= 1188)
                          k = 140.62 + (112.14.*10^(-4)).*T;

                          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k')
                      else
                          disp('Invalid Temperature Input!');
                      end
               case 'Cu3'
                      if  T <= 1443
                          k = 16.041 + (438.9.*10^(-4)).*T;

                          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k')
                      else
                          disp('Invalid Temperature Input!');
                      end
                case 'St1'
                      if (400 <= T) && (T <= 1000)
                          k = 76.63 - 0.0459.*T;

                          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k')
                      else
                          disp('Invalid Temperature Input!');
                      end

              case 'St2'
                      if (298 < T) && (T < 1573)
                          k = 6.31 + ((27.2.*10^(-3)).*T) - (7.*10^(-6)).*(T.^2);

                          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k')
                      else
                          disp('Invalid Temperature Input!');
                      end
               case 'St3'
                      if  T <= 1727
                          k = 20 + (61.5.*10^(-4)).*T;

                          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k')
                      else
                          disp('Invalid Temperature Input!');
                      end            
          end
          end

Answer 1

[Birdman]

If you call it as follows, it works perfectly:

>>alloy='Al2';
T=300;
[Alloy,Temp]=ThCond(alloy,T)

The thermal conductivity(k_s) is 164.97

 Alloy =

    'Al2'

 Temp =

   300

[Porgs]

would I be able to use an array instead of an integer for the temperature in this function?

[Birdman]

Yes but the function needs to be changed. I erased else parts because of irrelevant disp function.

function [alloy,k] = ThCond(alloy,T)
k=zeros(1,numel(T));
for i=1:numel(T)
      if (298 <= T(i)) && (T(i) <= 840) && strcmp(alloy,'Al2')
         k(i) = 149.7 + 0.0809.*T(i) - (1.*10^(-4)).*(T(i).^2);
         fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k(i)');
      elseif (298 <= T(i)) && (T(i) <= 773)
         k(i) = 76.64 + 0.2633.*T(i) - (2.*10^(-4)).*(T(i)^2);
         fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k(i)')
      end
      if (293 <= T(i)) && (T(i) <= 890) && strcmp(alloy,'Al3')
          k(i) = 124.7 + 0.56.*T(i) + (1*10^(-5)).*(T(i)^2);
          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k(i)')
      end
      if (100 <= T(i)) && (T(i) <= 1200) && strcmp(alloy,'Cu1')
          k(i) = 453.9 - 0.1054.*T(i);
          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k(i)')
      end
      if (460 <= T(i)) && (T(i) <= 1188) && strcmp(alloy,'Cu2')
          k(i) = 140.62 + (112.14.*10^(-4)).*T(i);
          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k(i)')
      end
      if  T(i) <= 1443 && strcmp(alloy,'Cu3')
          k(i) = 16.041 + (438.9.*10^(-4)).*T(i);
          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k(i)')
      end
      if (400 <= T(i)) && (T(i) <= 1000) && strcmp(alloy,'St1')
          k(i) = 76.63 - 0.0459.*T(i);
          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k(i)')
      end
      if (298 < T(i)) && (T(i) < 1573) && strcmp(alloy,'St2')
          k(i) = 6.31 + ((27.2.*10^(-3)).*T(i)) - (7.*10^(-6)).*(T(i).^2);
          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k(i)')
      end
      if  T(i) <= 1727 && strcmp(alloy,'St3')
          k(i) = 20 + (61.5.*10^(-4)).*T(i);
          fprintf('\nThe thermal conductivity(k_s) is %6.2f\n', k(i)')
      end  
end
end

and call it like:

alloy='Al2';
T=[300 600 800];
[Alloy,Temp]=ThCond(alloy,T)

[Birdman]

Sterling's answer moved here:

Would there be a way to make the function accept both integers and arrays into the same function for T?

[Birdman]

It does accept with its last shape.

[Porgs]

Thanks for all of your help!