US20100195695A1 - Thermo-analytical instrument - Google Patents

Thermo-analytical instrument Download PDF

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US20100195695A1
US20100195695A1 US12/694,464 US69446410A US2010195695A1 US 20100195695 A1 US20100195695 A1 US 20100195695A1 US 69446410 A US69446410 A US 69446410A US 2010195695 A1 US2010195695 A1 US 2010195695A1
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sample
temperature
thermo
reference position
analytical instrument
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Ernst Van De Kerkhof
Paul Pieter Willem Van Grinsven
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Mettler Toledo GmbH Germany
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Publication of US20100195695A1 publication Critical patent/US20100195695A1/en
Priority to US14/168,778 priority Critical patent/US9528953B2/en
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N25/00—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means
    • G01N25/20—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01K—MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01K17/00—Measuring quantity of heat
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01K—MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01K17/00—Measuring quantity of heat
    • G01K17/04—Calorimeters using compensation methods, i.e. where the absorbed or released quantity of heat to be measured is compensated by a measured quantity of heating or cooling
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N25/00—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means
    • G01N25/18—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating thermal conductivity
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N25/00—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means
    • G01N25/20—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity
    • G01N25/48—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity on solution, sorption, or a chemical reaction not involving combustion or catalytic oxidation
    • G01N25/4806—Details not adapted to a particular type of sample
    • G01N25/4826—Details not adapted to a particular type of sample concerning the heating or cooling arrangements
    • G01N25/4833—Details not adapted to a particular type of sample concerning the heating or cooling arrangements specially adapted for temperature scanning
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N25/00—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means
    • G01N25/20—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity
    • G01N25/48—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity on solution, sorption, or a chemical reaction not involving combustion or catalytic oxidation
    • G01N25/4846—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity on solution, sorption, or a chemical reaction not involving combustion or catalytic oxidation for a motionless, e.g. solid sample
    • G01N25/4866—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity on solution, sorption, or a chemical reaction not involving combustion or catalytic oxidation for a motionless, e.g. solid sample by using a differential method
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N25/00—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N25/00—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means
    • G01N25/20—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity
    • G01N25/48—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity on solution, sorption, or a chemical reaction not involving combustion or catalytic oxidation
    • G01N25/4806—Details not adapted to a particular type of sample
    • G01N25/4813—Details not adapted to a particular type of sample concerning the measuring means
    • G01N25/482—Details not adapted to a particular type of sample concerning the measuring means concerning the temperature responsive elements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N25/00—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means
    • G01N25/20—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity
    • G01N25/48—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating the development of heat, i.e. calorimetry, e.g. by measuring specific heat, by measuring thermal conductivity on solution, sorption, or a chemical reaction not involving combustion or catalytic oxidation
    • G01N25/4806—Details not adapted to a particular type of sample
    • G01N25/4826—Details not adapted to a particular type of sample concerning the heating or cooling arrangements

Definitions

  • thermo-analytical instrument utilizing an enhanced heat flux mode and to a method for operating such an instrument.
  • Thermo-analytical instruments are generally used to measure different characteristics and properties of a sample which is exposed to temperature changes and/or to a temperature program.
  • thermo-analytical instruments are calorimeters and in particular differential scanning calorimeters (DSC).
  • DSC differential scanning calorimeters
  • a DSC is utilized to record temperature related changes of the physical or chemical characteristics of a sample or sample material. These are for example heat flow measurements related to exothermic or endothermic events accompanying transitions and other effects occurring in a sample which is subjected to temperature changes.
  • the changes within the sample are determined in relation to a reference, which can be an empty reference position or a suitable reference material.
  • the reference material or sample material can be placed directly on a respective measurement position or it can be placed in a suitable crucible, which is then placed on the respective measurement position—the sample position or the reference position.
  • Chip-type calorimeters were developed for the analysis of very thin films and particles with masses in the microgram or even nanogram range, which are often based on silicon technology.
  • thermo-analytical instruments Two main control principles or modes for thermo-analytical instruments are well known, these are heat flux and power compensation.
  • Power compensation is usually implemented into a thermo-analytical instrument by controlling the heating power or by placing and separately controlling an additional heater, often referred to as compensation heater, at the sample position.
  • the sample position, the reference position as well as any material placed on one of said measurement positions are subjected to a temperature program, which is applied by the respective heater to the respective measurement positions.
  • the sample heater merely mimics the heating power delivered by the reference heater.
  • Said compensation heater is used to deliver any excess power needed for heating the sample in order to take it through phase transitions, while the temperature difference between the sample position and the reference position is controlled to remain substantially zero.
  • thermo-analytical instruments such as calorimeters
  • the heat flux principle is often implemented in thermo-analytical instruments, such as calorimeters, having a common holder comprising the sample position and reference position.
  • the holder is associated with a common heater, whose heating power is controlled by the temperature of the reference position.
  • the thermal conductivity paths between the heater and the sample position and the reference position are well defined and heat flows calculated from the temperature signals of the sample and the reference can be quantitatively analyzed.
  • the heating power for the reference position and the sample position is controlled by the actual temperature at the reference position in accordance with the temperature program.
  • the sample temperature can divert substantially from the set program temperature and the sample temperature can be essentially non-linear with respect to time while the sample undergoes and/or relaxes from thermal events, especially when the relaxation is comparatively slow.
  • all thermal properties have to be known with high accuracy, as this determination is generally very sensitive to inaccuracies in any of these properties.
  • thermo-analytical instrument in particular a thermo-analytical heat flux instrument, which overcomes the drawbacks of the heat flux principle described above and provides results having a higher reproducibility and accuracy.
  • thermo-analytical instrument cannot be realized within the frame of the classic heat flux principle.
  • classic heat flux principle refers to the known principle. The basic principles concerning the heat flows when heating a reference position and the sample position under controlled conditions, e.g. inside a thermo-analytical instrument with heat flux are described in a generalized way with reference to FIG. 1 .
  • the reference position and the sample position are also referred to as ‘measurement positions’.
  • FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a sample position 1 and a reference position 2 , which are associated either with a common heater 13 or with individual heaters (not shown here).
  • a sample 6 is arranged on the sample position 1 and the reference position 2 is preferably empty.
  • the net heat flow into the sample position 1 is represented by ⁇ dot over (Q) ⁇ net,S .
  • the temperatures at the reference position 2 and at the sample position 1 are T R and T S , which are assumed to be uniform across the respective measurement position.
  • the energy balance at the sample position 1 requires that:
  • C S denotes the heat capacity of the sample position
  • m the sample mass
  • c p the specific heat of the sample 6 , in particular of the sample material
  • ⁇ dot over (q) ⁇ the heat flow into the sample 6 originating from a thermal event within the sample 6 .
  • the energy balance for the reference position 2 can be expressed as:
  • C R is the heat capacity of the reference position.
  • Equations (1) and (2) can be subtracted to render
  • the left hand side of Equation 3 represents the net heat flow imbalance between the measurement positions 1 , 2 or in other words the incoming minus the outgoing heat flow, taken differentially between both measurement positions 1 , 2 .
  • the left hand side contains contributions from the differences between the measurement positions 1 , 2 in effectively applied heating power and/or thermal resistance to the environment and possibly from direct heat flow between sample position and reference position.
  • the right hand side of Equation 3 represents the differential heat consumption rate between the measurement positions 1 , 2 , which originates from the intrinsic differential heat capacity or thermal imbalance between the two empty measurement positions 1 , 2 , the heat capacity of the sample 6 and from any thermal events occurring within sample 6 .
  • Equation 3 can be solved for the net heat flow into the sample 6 to yield:
  • ⁇ dot over (Q) ⁇ net,S and ⁇ dot over (Q) ⁇ net,R contain contributions from heat flows between the heater 13 and the measurement positions 1 , 2 , between the measurement positions 1 , 2 and the thermal environment and/or mutually between the sample position 1 and the reference position 2 .
  • each of these terms can be represented as a heat flow across a thermal resistance, driven by a differential temperature.
  • the reference temperature T R is controlled to follow a predetermined temperature program, when implementing the classic heat flux principle into a thermo-analytical instrument.
  • This temperature program can for instance consist of time segments during each of which T R stays at a constant value—is isotherm—or varies linearly with time.
  • Equation 3 Equation 3
  • Equation 5 the net heat flow in Equation 5 can be further reduced to:
  • Equation 7 Assuming a substantially uniform heater and/or environment temperature, as well as basic symmetry between the thermal resistances connecting the sample position 1 and the reference position 2 to their respective thermal environments, the net heat flow term in Equation 7 will be dominated by a term proportional to the temperature difference ⁇ T between the measurement positions 1 , 2 . This implies, that under steady-state conditions, when ⁇ dot over (q) ⁇ is substantially zero, without occurrence of any additional thermal event, and after relaxation of entrance effects, ⁇ T will remain at a substantially constant value.
  • ⁇ T The value of ⁇ T can be approximated by
  • Z being the effective thermal resistance between the sample position and the reference position, which will be a function of the various contributing thermal resistances.
  • the differential temperature ⁇ T will vary during any thermal event occurring within sample 6 , causing further discrepancy between the sample temperature T S and the set program temperature. Additionally, this will induce nonlinearity into the time dependence of the sample temperature T S . After the thermal event, when ⁇ dot over (q) ⁇ has returned to substantially zero, ⁇ T will relax to its steady-state value (s. Equation 8) in an exponential decay with a time constant
  • the total transition enthalpy for the thermal event occurring within sample 6 can be given by:
  • Term 1 of Equation 11 gives the area under the curve
  • Term 2 the area under the interpolated baseline
  • Term 3 is the error term.
  • plotting the integrand from Term 1 against time will lead to a curve which is a horizontal straight line interrupted by the transition peak, except for the contribution from the Error Term 3.
  • the Error Term 3 vanishes if ⁇ T 0 ⁇ T 1 . Under this condition the transition enthalpy of the sample can be determined as the area between the curve and the interpolated baseline.
  • Equation 11 involves subtraction of numbers of nearly equal magnitudes, which is therefore critically dependent on the accuracy by which the underlying expressions and properties can be determined. As a consequence of these cumulative sources of inaccuracy, the resulting plots show a baseline drift and a curvature, which can only be corrected for by empirical means.
  • thermo-analytical instrument with classic heat flow has several drawbacks, as the instrument will suffer from inevitable real-world limitations.
  • the sample temperature T S can divert substantially from the given program temperature.
  • the time derivative of the sample temperature ⁇ dot over (T) ⁇ S is essentially non-constant during and while relaxing from a thermal event within the sample.
  • the relaxation from thermal events is slow in comparison with an instrument using power compensation and the determination of the net sample heat flow is sensitive to inaccuracy in the measured and pre-determined thermal properties.
  • thermo-analytical instruments such as e.g. chip-type calorimeters and DSC.
  • thermo-analytical instruments are generally either designed for power compensation mode or heat flux mode, so that different instruments are necessary in order to support the two principles or modes. It would therefore also be advantageous to develop an instrument which could switch between power compensation mode and heat flux mode.
  • thermo-analytical instrument comprising thermally separated measurement positions also generates several drawbacks, which get more enhanced with decreasing sample sizes.
  • the heat flow signal originates from subtracted bulk heat flows into and out of the measurement positions. The smaller the sample, the closer together these bulk heat flows will be, making the heat flow signal increasingly sensitive to errors and/or inaccuracies in the bulk heat flows.
  • An object lies in the development of a setup for an improved heat flux principle, which eliminates or at least reduces the impact of the drawbacks of classic heat flux principle as described above.
  • thermo-analytical instrument in particular a differential scanning calorimeter, comprising a sample position for receiving a sample, a reference position, heating means associated with the sample position and the reference position, means for setting a predetermined temperature program of nominal values of temperature versus time, a first sensor for measuring a sample temperature at the sample position, and further comprising a controller, which controls the heating power of said heating means.
  • the heating power of said heating means is controlled so as to cause said measured sample temperature to essentially follow said temperature program.
  • the reference temperature is speeding ahead of the sample temperature in a mirror image of the classic reference controlled situation, but unlike classic heat flow a diversion of the reference temperature from the set program temperature does not influence the relation between the sample temperature and the set program temperature, which leads to a drastic lag reduction.
  • the direct control of the sample temperature also results in increasing the rising edge steepness during an event.
  • the rate at which heat is delivered to the sample is limited by the substantially constant thermal resistance between the sample position and the reference position, which puts a rigid constraint on the heat flow between the sample position and the reference position.
  • the sample is actively dragged through its phase transition by the controller, which is especially advantageous for samples having higher thermal masses in relation to an imbalance in thermal mass between the sample position and the reference position.
  • the thermo-analytical instrument further comprises a second sensor for measuring a reference temperature at the reference position.
  • the temperature difference i.e. a differential temperature
  • the sensor can comprise a thermopile arrangement with at least one thermocouple associated with the sample position and at least one thermocouple associated with the reference position for determining the temperature at the respective measurement position.
  • the sample position and the reference position are associated with individual thermopile arrangements.
  • the temperature at the respective measurement position can also be determined by other commonly known temperature measurement devices or sensors, for example a resistance thermometer or a semiconductor based sensor.
  • the reference position is empty, but in an exemplary embodiment the reference position can also be associated with a suitable reference substance or material. This is advantageous for certain experimental situations such as cooling experiments.
  • the heating means can comprise a common heater associated with the sample position and the reference position or the heating means can comprise individual heaters—a reference heater associated with the reference position and a sample heater associated with the sample position.
  • the measurement positions are designed in such a way that the thermal crosstalk between the sample position and the reference position is small or can even be neglected, this is especially advantageous as it allows combining the principles of enhanced heat flux and power compensation in a single thermo-analytical instrument.
  • the heaters are resistance heaters, as these are particular suitable for instruments for small sample sizes and masses.
  • resistance heaters it would also be possible to use any other kind of heater, especially such which have been or are already used for thermo-analytical instruments, e.g. inductive heaters or laser heating.
  • the sample position and the reference position can be arranged on a common holder or they can be arranged on individual or separate holders.
  • a holder is understood in this context as a substrate or structure on which the respective measurement positions are arranged or formed.
  • a thermo-analytical instrument with individual holders is especially suited for instruments which can switch between heat flux and power compensation, as both principles can be utilized.
  • the measurement positions can also be arranged in the same or in different environments, such as common or individual furnaces or sensors.
  • sample position and the reference position exhibit an intrinsic symmetry in order to keep the imbalance in thermal mass between the sample position and the reference position at a minimum.
  • a low thermal inertia of the sample position and the reference position is important for the realization of the enhanced heat flow, for the system has to be able to respond swiftly, in relation to the time scale of the experiment, to the possibly large fluctuations in heating power during thermal events occurring in the sample.
  • thermo-analytical instrument is a heat flux calorimeter operated under isoperibolic conditions.
  • the temperature of the surroundings remains constant, while the temperature of the sample can differ from the surrounding temperature.
  • thermo-analytical instrument is designed as a differential scanning calorimeter, e.g. a chip-type calorimeter. These types of instruments are just examples of possible instruments.
  • the thermo-analytical instrument can be any type of instrument with at least a sample position and a reference position. Classic heat flow was realized for example with differential scanning calorimeters (DSC) and thermo-analytical instruments combing DSC and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA).
  • DSC differential scanning calorimeters
  • TGA thermo-gravimetric analysis
  • the enhanced heat flux principle can be applied when the time constant involved in transferring heat from the heater to a sample arranged at the sample position is low enough to prevent large gradients from arising during a thermal event occurring in the sample.
  • the enhanced heat flux mode has several advantages over the classic heat flux mode where the sample temperature runs behind the program temperature.
  • the classic heat flux mode causes a delay of the onset of the phase transition peak for a heating or cooling scan of a sample material undergoing a first order phase transition and further a prolonged spell of non-linearity in the sample temperature can occur.
  • the enhanced heat flux mode eliminates both effects and the lag can be substantially reduced, ideally it can be substantially zero.
  • the steepness of the onset part or rising edge of the peak is generally limited by the overall heating rate. For the enhanced heat flux principle this is not the case.
  • the enhanced heat flux principle produces a steeper edge, which results in a narrower peak and less delay of the peak temperature.
  • relaxation is also faster for the enhanced principle, which further contributes to a narrow peak.
  • a method for controlling a thermo-analytical instrument with a sample position for receiving a sample, a reference position, heating means associated with the sample position and the reference position, means for setting a predetermined temperature program of nominal values of temperature versus time, a first sensor for measuring a sample temperature at the sample position, and a controller, which controls the heating power of said heating means, comprises the steps of placing a sample on the sample position, applying the predetermined temperature program to the sample position and the reference position by controlling a heating power of the heating means and determining the sample temperature as a function of time. The measured sample temperature can then be used to control the heating power of said heating means so as to cause said measured sample temperature to essentially follow said predetermined temperature program.
  • the thermal mass of the sample is always high compared to the imbalance in thermal mass between reference position and the sample position.
  • the heating means can comprise a common heater associated with the sample position and the reference position or it can comprise individual heaters—a reference heater associated with the reference position and a sample heater associated with the sample position.
  • the net heat flow into the sample can be derived from measuring the differential temperature arising between the sample position and the reference position. Imbalances between the measurement positions in effective heating power and/or heat flow to the environment can also contribute to the net heat flow into the sample.
  • sample and program temperatures are substantially identical and therefore the principal component of thermal lag can be eliminated.
  • the time constant for relaxation from a thermal event has dropped from Z ⁇ (C+m ⁇ c p ) to Z ⁇ C, resulting in a faster exponential decay back to the baseline after a thermal event, a difference which becomes more pronounced for samples with a relatively large thermal mass with respect to the thermal mass of the sample position.
  • the relaxation time is now determined by the reference position instead of the sample position. This results in an improved system response because of the absence of the additional inertia contributed by the sample.
  • a further advantage of the enhanced heat flux principle is that the peak height-to-width ratio is improved by virtue of two separate mechanisms. Onset steepness increases because of the active sample control, while the relaxation time decreases because the ruling time constant is that of the preferably empty reference position rather than of the sample position.
  • FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic representation of the heat flows in a thermo-analytical heat flux instrument
  • FIG. 2 schematically represents the heat flows in a heat flux thermo-analytical instrument having substantially symmetric measurement positions and individual heaters for the sample position and the reference position;
  • FIG. 3 depicts an electronic setup for a digital scanning calorimeter (“DSC”) with classic heat flow
  • FIG. 4 depicts an electronic setup for a DSC with enhanced heat flow
  • FIG. 5 is a temperature-time-diagram for the setup according to FIG. 3 during a thermal event
  • FIG. 6 is a temperature-time-diagram for the setup according to FIG. 4 during a thermal event.
  • FIG. 7 is a diagram of the differential power versus time for comparative measurements of the melting peak of indium (5 ⁇ g, 1000 K/s) with power compensation, classic heat flow and enhanced heat flow.
  • FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the heat flows in a heat flux thermo-analytical instrument.
  • the reference position and the sample position are also referred to as “measurement positions.”
  • FIG. 2 schematically shows the heat flows within a thermo-analytical instrument 205 .
  • the thermo-analytical instrument 205 comprises a sample position 201 , a reference position 202 , a sample heater 203 and a reference heater 204 .
  • the sample position 201 , the reference position 202 and the heaters 203 , 204 are comprised in the thermo-analytical instrument 205 , which is only indicated here and which also represents the surrounding environment, presumed to remain at a uniform temperature T E .
  • the thermo-analytical instrument 205 is preferably operated under isoperibolic conditions and has substantially symmetric measurement positions 201 , 202 with individual heaters 203 , 204 .
  • FIG. 2 An example for an instrument for which the heat flows can be modeled by FIG. 2 is a chip-type differential scanning calorimeter with individual heaters.
  • the various heat flows are indicated by arrows for the situation when a sample 206 is arranged on the sample position 201 and the respective heaters 203 , 204 provide heating power to both measurement positions 201 , 202 according to a common, predetermined temperature program.
  • the predetermined temperature program can also be a voltage program, in particular when the heaters 203 , 204 are resistance heaters.
  • the heaters 203 , 204 can be designed as electrical resistance heaters, which deliver heating power to the respective measurement positions 201 , 202 .
  • the heating powers of the two heaters 203 , 204 are not necessarily equal, even when the heaters 203 , 204 are subjected to exactly the same voltage program, because the heating power is inversely proportional to the electrical heater resistance, which is significantly temperature dependent. Since the temperature difference between the measurement positions 201 , 202 can become quite substantial during thermal transitions in the sample, this effect can by no means be ignored.
  • ⁇ dot over (Q) ⁇ HS is the heat generated per time unit by the sample heater 203 , which flows to the sample position 201 .
  • ⁇ dot over (Q) ⁇ RS is the heat flow from the reference position 202 to the sample position 201 and ⁇ dot over (Q) ⁇ SE the heat flow from the sample position 201 to the environment 205 .
  • C S denotes the heat capacity of the sample position, m the mass and c p the specific heat of the sample 206 , in particular of the sample material.
  • T S is the temperature at the sample position 201 and is assumed to be equal to the temperature of the sample 206 .
  • ⁇ dot over (q) ⁇ is the heat flow into the sample 206 originating from a thermal event within the sample 206 .
  • T R denotes the temperature at the reference position 202
  • T E the temperature of the environment 205
  • U H the voltage applied to the heaters 203 , 204 of the measurement positions 201 , 202
  • R S the electrical resistance of the sample heater 203
  • Z RS ,Z SE denote the thermal resistances between the measurement positions 201 , 202 and between the sample position 201 and the environment 205 , respectively.
  • Equation 2 the energy balance for the reference position 202 can be expressed according to Equation 2 as:
  • ⁇ dot over (Q) ⁇ HR is the heat generated by time unit by the reference heater 204 and ⁇ dot over (Q) ⁇ RE the heat flow from reference position 202 to the environment 205 .
  • C R is the heat capacity and T R the temperature of the reference position 202 .
  • R R denotes the electrical resistance of the reference heater 204 and Z RE the thermal resistance between the reference position 202 and the environment 205 .
  • the thermal crosstalk can be neglected, if it is small. Otherwise the actual thermal crosstalk should be considered and can be determined experimentally for a given thermo-analytical instrument 205 by comparing cooling and heating runs, where respective runs show opposite signs for said effect.
  • First thermal imbalances between the measurement positions can be determined with measurement positions which are empty for the cooling and heating runs.
  • these measurements show no significant asymmetry between the heating and cooling runs, implying that the actual thermal imbalance between sample position and reference position is negligibly small.
  • the experiment can be performed for a sample material with a known thermal mass and an empty reference position.
  • the measured thermal mass after correction for the intrinsic difference between both empty positions, can be determined and compared with the known mass. Any difference in the measured thermal mass between heating and cooling runs is an indication for thermal crosstalk.
  • Equations 8 and 9 remain unchanged as first order approximations, although Z now represents the thermal resistance between the measurement positions and the environment, averaged between the sample position and the reference position and disregarding the contribution from the electrical term.
  • thermal resistances Z cannot be determined directly, but have to be calculated from properties which are determined during a calibration of the instrument.
  • any sample arranged on the sample position has an impact on the thermal resistance Z SE of the sample position to the environment, which has to be accounted for.
  • several assumptions and simplifications have been made in relation to the calculations for classic heat flow, which all are to some extent invalid, especially the farther the system is away from ideal conditions. These assumptions included e.g.
  • a chip-type calorimeter represents an example of a suitable thermo-analytical instrument, which can comprise thermally separated measurement positions. Especially when implemented on a microscale—like in a chip-type calorimeter—a setup as described above is more susceptible to the aforementioned drawbacks of classic heat flow. Therefore the implementation of the enhanced heat flow as described herein is especially advantageous.
  • FIG. 3 shows an electronic setup of a thermo-analytical instrument such as a DSC operated with the classic heat flux principle.
  • the DSC presented in FIG. 3 comprises a sample position 301 and a reference position 302 .
  • a sample or sample material can be placed on the sample position 301 and a reference material can be placed on the reference position 302 .
  • Preferably measurements are performed without a reference material.
  • the sample position 301 is in thermal contact with a sample heater 303 .
  • the temperature at the sample position 301 is determined by a sensor comprising a thermopile 307 with at least one thermocouple.
  • the reference position 302 is in thermal contact with a reference heater 304 .
  • the temperature at the reference position 302 is determined with a sensor comprising a thermopile 308 with at least one thermocouple.
  • the heaters 303 , 304 are preferably designed as individual resistance heaters, which can be controlled by the same temperature or voltage program.
  • the sample heater 303 and the reference heater 304 apply a heating power to the measurement positions 301 , 302 in compliance with a predetermined temperature program and are part of a control loop 309 .
  • This control loop 309 comprises a PID controller 310 .
  • the temperature program is fed to the control loop 309 as indicated by the temperature set points T set .
  • ⁇ S T set is the product of the temperature T set with the Seebeck coefficient ⁇ S and converts the temperature into voltage, provided T set is measured relative to the temperature of the cold junctions of the thermopile.
  • the heating power of the heaters 303 , 304 is controlled by the temperature T R at the reference position 302 , which is determined with the thermopile 308 .
  • thermopiles 307 , 308 are part of a measurement circuit 311 , whose output is a differential thermopile signal derived from the two thermopiles 307 , 308 .
  • the differential thermopile signal directly represents the measured signal.
  • the control loop 309 as well as the measurement circuit 311 are connected with a main controller 323 , in particular a microcontroller, for controlling the DSC.
  • FIG. 4 shows an electronic setup for a DSC as example for a thermo-analytical instrument with enhanced heat flux principle.
  • the thermo-analytical instrument also comprises a sample position 401 , a sample heater 403 associated with the sample position 401 and a first temperature sensor comprising a first thermopile 407 with at least one thermocouple for measuring the temperature at a sample position 401 .
  • the instrument further comprises a reference position 402 associated with a reference heater 404 and a second temperature sensor comprising a second thermopile 408 with at least one thermocouple for measuring the temperature at the reference position 402 .
  • the sample heater 403 and the reference heater 404 apply a heating power to the respective measurement position 401 , 402 in compliance with a predetermined temperature program and are part of a control loop 412 .
  • This control loop 412 comprises a PID controller 410 .
  • the predetermined temperature program is fed to the control loop 412 as indicated by the temperature set points T set .
  • thermopiles 407 , 408 are part of a measurement circuit 411 , whose output is a differential thermopile signal derived from the two thermopiles 407 , 408 .
  • the differential thermopile signal can again represent the measured signal.
  • the control loop 409 is connected with a main controller 423 , in particular a microcontroller, for controlling the DSC.
  • the enhanced heat flux principle is very similar to the classic heat flux principle.
  • the main difference is that the heating power of the heaters 403 , 404 is controlled by the temperature T S at the sample position 401 , which is determined with the thermopile 407 , rather than the temperature T R at the reference position 402 .
  • the measure of offering the temperature program to the sample position 401 substantially eliminates the deviation of the sample temperature T S from the given program temperature T Set and presents a substantive advantage over the classic heat flux principle.
  • the enhanced heat flux principle is applicable only when the time constant involved in transferring heat from the sample heater 403 to a sample arranged at the sample position 401 is low enough to prevent large gradients from arising during a thermal event, which is e. g. the case for a so called chip-type calorimeter.
  • Both setups shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 can easily be adapted by adding a compensation heater to each measurement position and by connecting the compensation heaters into an appropriate compensation loop which is fed by the differential temperature arising between the measurement positions.
  • the resulting instrument is capable of performing either in one of the heat flux modes or in a power compensation mode, which can be a classic or an enhanced power compensation mode analogue to the heat flux modes.
  • FIGS. 5 and 6 show idealized graphs of temperature T versus time t during a linear heating scan, within which the sample goes through an endothermic first order phase transition.
  • the reference temperature T R is represented as a dotted line, the sample temperature T S as a straight line.
  • FIG. 5 displays the situation for the classic heat flux principle, where the temperature program T set is applied according to the measured reference temperature T R .
  • FIG. 6 displays the situation for the enhanced heat flux principle with active control of the temperature program T set through the sample temperature T S .
  • Equation 13 appears to be quite similar to its counterpart, Equation 7, for the classic heat flux principle. However, there are some vital differences, bringing forth beneficial effects.
  • the sample and program temperatures are substantially identical by which the principal component of thermal lag is eliminated.
  • the time constant for relaxation from a thermal event has dropped from Z ⁇ (C+m ⁇ c p ) to Z ⁇ C for an experiment without a reference material, resulting in a faster exponential decay back to the baseline after a thermal event, a difference which becomes more pronounced for samples with a relatively large thermal mass.
  • the relaxation time is now determined by the reference position instead of the sample position resulting in an improved system response due to the absence of the additional inertia contributed by the sample.
  • experiments are carried out without a reference material.
  • a combination of a high cooling rate and a large thermal sample mass might induce a substantial temperature difference between the sample position and the reference position and thereby, since the reference temperature is running ahead of the program temperature, reduce the temperature range over which controlled cooling is possible.
  • the use of a reference material is preferred to counteract this phenomenon.
  • Equation 13 By integration of Equation 13 the transition enthalpy can be calculated, under the assumption of a constant c p :
  • FIG. 7 three comparative measurements are presented, placing the enhanced heat flow 721 right in the middle between classic heat flow 722 and power compensation 720 , although the enhanced heat flow figures are closer to power compensation 720 than to classic heat flow 722 . It can be observed, that the enhanced heat flow comprises elements from both principles and at the same time reduces and/or eliminates their drawbacks substantially.
  • the enhanced heat flow gives rise to an increased responsibility of the main control loop when pulling the sample through phase transitions and places higher demands on its stability. Therefore, the use of a robust temperature control, such as a PID-control, is preferably required.
  • Exemplary comparative calorimetric measurements for the three different calorimetric methods showed, that within an error margin of a few percent, the enthalpy of fusion of a given indium sample, as measured for three different heating rates, does not show any significant dependence on the method used and neither on the heating rate. This confirms that measurements with the enhanced heat flux principle are calorimetrically reliable as much as measurements with classic heat flux and power compensation.

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CN101915774A (zh) * 2010-08-09 2010-12-15 中国计量科学研究院 使用差示扫描量热仪测定有机物熔点的方法
CN101915774B (zh) * 2010-08-09 2012-08-22 中国计量科学研究院 使用差示扫描量热仪测定有机物熔点的方法
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CN108844993A (zh) * 2018-06-28 2018-11-20 广州市建筑科学研究院有限公司 一种用于修正围护结构传热系数现场检测结果的方法
CN113640343A (zh) * 2021-08-13 2021-11-12 中国计量大学 基于激光功率激励的差式扫描量热仪温度标定与重构方法
EP4350312A1 (en) * 2022-10-04 2024-04-10 Mettler-Toledo GmbH Calibration method for a differential scanning calorimeter

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