Kinetica, Inc. offers a commercial sample testing
service for Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The
technique of DSC involves recording the energy necessary to
establish a zero temperature difference between a substance and a
reference material against either time or temperature as each
specimen is subjected to an identical temperature program. The
ordinate value at any time or temperature is related to the
difference in heat flow between a standard sample and the unknown;
this is related to the kinetics of the process. Integration of the
area under the heat flow curve yields the enthalpy change associated
with the thermal event of interest.
This service provides a
cost-effective method for obtaining kinetic and thermodynamic data
for condensed phase phenomena. Observable processes include simple
phase transitions, characterization of polymorphism, the
kinetics and thermochemistry for a variety of complex reactions.
Thermodynamic data for pure substances include
melting and boiling points, heat capacity, heat of fusion, heat of
solution, and heat of vaporization. Examples of complex processes
include oxidation of organic compounds, fuels and carbon combustion,
polymerization and resin curing reactions, explosives and pyrotechnic
decomposition, and thermite reactions. ASTM protocol is
utilized whenever possible. Some of the applicable procedures
are listed in the table insert.
ASTM Procedure
Description
E 537-02
Standard Method for Assessing the
Thermal Stability of Chemicals by Methods of Differential Thermal Analysis
E 698-99
Standard Test Method for
Arrhenius Kinetic Constants for Thermally Unstable Materials
E 793-01
Standard Test Method for Heats of
Fusion and Crystallization by Differential Scanning Calorimetry
E 794-98
Standard Method for Melting and
Crystallization Temperature by Thermal Analysis
E 928-96
Standard Test Method for
Determination of Purity by Differential Scanning Calorimetry
E 1762-98
Standard Test Method for
Determining Vapor Pressure by Thermal Analysis
All test data are tabulated in a formal
report. Please contact Kinetica
to discuss particular concerns and requirements for DSC analysis.
