Introduction to active thermochemical tables: Several key enthalpies of formation revisited

The concept behind active thermochemical tables (ATcT) is presented. As opposed to traditional sequential thermochernistry, ATcT provides reliable, accurate, and internally consistent thermochemistry by utilizing the thermochemical network (TN) approach. This involves, inter alia, a statistical analysis of thermochemically relevant determinations that define the TN, made possible by redundancies in the TN, such as competing measurements and alternate network pathways that interrelate the various chemical species. The statistical analysis produces a self-consistent TN, from which the optimal thermochemical values are obtained by simultaneous solution in error-weighted space, thus allowing optimal use of all of the knowledge present in the TN. ATcT offers a number of additional features that are not present nor possible in the traditional approach. With ATcT, new knowledge can be painlessly propagated through all affected thermochemical values. ATcT also allows hypothesis testing and evaluation, as well as discovery of weak links in the TN. The latter provides pointers to new experimental or theoretical determinations that will most efficiently improve the underlying thermochemical body of knowledge. The ATcT approach is illustrated by providing improved thermochernistry for several key thermochemical species.