A Novel Experimental Procedure and Technique for Smallscale Calorimetry

By definition, a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) requires a sample structure and a refrence structure to obtain the latent heat of a speicman. We propose a novel approach, named Phase Transition Calorimetry (PTC), to obtain the specimen’s latent heat by using only the signal from the sample bridge. The new setup and procedure are primarily based on electrical resistance heating and thermometry and the parametric estimation method by solving the heat conduction equation with and without the phase transformation. The new setup has two major advantages over widely used DSC setups: there are no errors associated with heat loss to the surroundings, and the uncertainty resulting from the difference between the sample and the reference is eliminated by removing the reference structure. Experimental validation of the new setup and procedure is demonstrated by measuring the latent heat of thin layers of tin. This was found to be 4.1×10⁸ Jm⁻³, which is different within 5% from the literature values of bulk specimens.