Thermal analysis

Methods of thermal analysis such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), heat flow calorimetry, thermogravimetry, combined methods, are actively applied in many areas related to physical-chemical studies, reaction investigation, and so forth. There are well-known manufacturers of instruments for thermal analysis, such as TA Instrument, Perkin Elmer, METTLER, Setaram, NETZSCH, Linseis and many others.

Along with adiabatic calorimetry, thermal analysis is effectively used for reaction hazard assessment providing valuable data for reactivity screening and evaluating reaction kinetics. In this last case the reliability of kinetics depends on how elaborate the methodology of calorimetric experiment and data processing are. Some inaccuracies in methodology, often inessential in general practice, become crucial when reaction hazards are investigated. Various aspects of applying thermoanalytical experiments were subject of countless articles and monographs. Numerous publications consider the problems dealing with the use of DSC for kinetics investigation. Nevertheless many issues are still unsolved or are not given due consideration.

All these problems were taken into account while elaborating the methods for proper planning of experiments and comprehensive data analysis. See, e.g.

A. Kossoy, Effect of thermal inertia-induced distortions of DSC data on the correctness of the kinetics evaluated. J. of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, V.143, p. 599–608 (2021).   (article 25)    

and Newsletters:
#12. Do we know everything about DSC data? How to interpret DSC data when the overall heat depends on heating rate.
#14. Simple theory of melting based on the DSC model or what we can learn from such experiments.
#17. Example of kinetic analysis of complex thermogravimetry data  

These state-of-the-art methods were the basis for the powerful software offered by CISP for data processing (ARKS TA) and kinetics evaluation (ARKS IK, ARKS FK and ARKS CK), which are the components of the unique TSS-ARKS software.