The utility of phase correction in modulated DSC

Traditionally, Modulated DSC(TM) (MDSC(R)) [1] has been used to simultaneously measure the heat capacity and heat flow of a sample in a single experiment. As first proposed by Reading er al. in 1992 [2], this complex heat capacity signal (C-p*) can be further deconvoluted into components which are in-phase (C-p') or out-of phase (C-p '') with the imposed temperature modulation. The vector sum of these components, respectively termed the reversing C-p and kinetic C-p, is equal to the aforementioned complex C-p (C-p*). Recent research has centered around the analysis of these signals and their inclusion into MDSC experiments. For most polymer systems, the contribution of the kinetic C-p is negligible, except at the melt. This signal does contain a small peak at the T-g of PET, but the significance of this peak is to date not clear. Examples of further applications will be presented and discussed, as well as the derivation and interpretation of novel MDSC signals.