Characteristic and applicability of a temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimeter for steady state measurement of heat capacity

Temperature-modulated calorimetry, in which an apparatus for temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is employed, has a variety of advantages in heat capacity measurement. Namely, the absolute value of heat capacity can be obtained easily, by using periodic signal we can exclude the effects of external noises and drifts, the frequency dependence of heat capacity can be measured, etc. However, it is quite different from differential scanning calorimetry when we consider the principle of its performance, although the apparatus developed for DSC is generally used for temperature-modulated calorimetry as well. Tn this paper, the difference between them is clarified and based upon it the possibility of the application is discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.