Heat transfer in a disc-type DSC apparatus - IV. Applicability of the coupled cells model to periodic temperature modulation

The application of non-linear heating programs to a heat-flux DSC apparatus has attracted much attention. On the basis of thermodynamics, the change in enthalpy of a sample during a temperature change Delta T is due, on the one hand to the true heat capacity of the sample Delta T C-p xi and on the other, to the enthalpy of some transformation occurring in the sample Delta(r)H Delta xi. These contributions can be separated on the basis of the kinetics of the transformation. The coupled cells model of a disc type, heat flux DSC apparatus has been tested, using true heat capacities and a sine modulation of the temperature of the furnace around a constant temperature. In the range from 2 to 60 mHz, the amplitude and phase shift of the calorimetric signal were measured at several frequencies. Theoretical equations, based on the model, and using the thermal Ohm's law explains the results with a reasonable accuracy. A non-linear DSC experiment affords two ways of determination of the heat capacity of a sample making possible a distinction between the enthalpic effect and heat capacity.