Some practical aspects of heat capacity determination by differential scanning calorimetry

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is a widely accessible and versatile method for the determination of the heat capacities of organic materials as a function of temperature. In routine use, it is typically possible to obtain results with an accuracy better than 3 %. However, to achieve this level of accuracy, careful optimization of the experimental procedure for a specific apparatus must be performed. Using benzoic acid as a test substance, this work highlights some practical aspects of heat capacity measurements by DSC, such as crucible material and its geometry, heating rate, thermal lag, the selection of a suitable pre-stabilization stage before the measurement and the duration of the experiment, that can have a strong influence on the quality of the obtained results.