Determination of the specific heat using laser flash apparatus

The main aim of this article was to describe the methodology for the measurement of specific heat using the laser flash apparatus. The obtained values are compared to results from the literature, differential scanning calorimetry and computational method (JMatPro). Measurements were taken and computations were performed for pure metal (copper), high-alloyed steel (austenitic stainless steel) and alloy with low temperature melting point (zinc-aluminium-copper alloy). Aluminium, graphite and molybdenum were used as reference materials for laser flash method. The measurements were taken with multi-sample system. Accuracy of the device and influence of sample thickness and mass were evaluated from measurements of molybdenum reference in temperature range 20-800 A degrees C. The influence of reference material selection on the obtained values of specific heat was evaluated for copper and austenitic stainless steel. Measurements of zinc-aluminium-copper alloy in low temperature range (20-300 A degrees C) have shown advantage of the described methodology in comparison with heat-flux differential scanning calorimetry.