Study of a differential scanning calorimetry vessel coated with inert material

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) provides easy screening for thermal hazard evaluation. As some chemical substances react with metals, the use of metal vessels in DSC often results in an overestimation of the thermal hazard. In this report, a commercially available DSC vessel was coated with SiO2 (thickness = 7, 20, 100 nm) or Al2O3 (thickness = 7 nm) using atomic layer deposition. The thermal behavior using the coated vessels was compared with results for glass and uncoated vessels. The samples measured for comparative evaluation were ammonium nitrate, ammonium perchlorate, and 2-amino-4-chloro-nitrophenol, which react with stainless steel vessels. For SiO2 coating, a possible coating effect of the vessel surface was observed. At 100 nm, resistance to nitric acid gas was sufficient, but insufficient for hydrochloric acid gas. The type of corrosive gas generated during decomposition and the temperature range of the reaction affect the film resistance. However, the effect of using Al2O3-coated vessels could not be confirmed.