Tips & Tricks

Precise Determination of the Specific Heat by Means of DSC 

Materials with a high Specific Heat Capacity (cp)Heat capacity is a material-specific physical quantity, determined by the amount of heat supplied to specimen, divided by the resulting temperature increase. The specific heat capacity is related to a unit mass of the specimen.specific heat capacity change their temperature only slightly when a given amount of energy is put in.

We will show how the specific heat can be accurately and successfully determined by means of Differential Scanning Calorimetry. The method is described in various standards including ASTM E 1269, DIN 51 007 or ISO 11357-4 (especially for plastics).

Number of Measurements

Every determination of the Specific Heat Capacity (cp)Heat capacity is a material-specific physical quantity, determined by the amount of heat supplied to specimen, divided by the resulting temperature increase. The specific heat capacity is related to a unit mass of the specimen.specific heat capacity by means of DSC – and also temperature-modulated (TM-) DSC – is comprised of three measurements: baseline, standard and sample measurement. The crucible on the reference side always remains empty. Usually sapphire (α-Al2O3 single crystal) is suggested as a standard, but other materials with known Specific Heat Capacity (cp)Heat capacity is a material-specific physical quantity, determined by the amount of heat supplied to specimen, divided by the resulting temperature increase. The specific heat capacity is related to a unit mass of the specimen.cp values can also be used. For special applications, like in the aviation sector, standards also include data for other materials (e.g. n-heptane in ASTM D 4816 or diphenyl ether in ASTM D 3947).

All three measurements should be carried out under identical conditions. The most important points here are: