A New Theoretical Approach to Steady State of Temperature Modulated Heat Flux DSC

The steady state of temperature modulated heat flux DSC, in which the sample temperature is controlled at a fixed frequency, a fixed amplitude and a constant underlying heating rate, is theoretically investigated for complex heat capacity of the sample, taking accounts of heat capacities of heat paths, heat loss to the environment and mutual heat exchange between the sample and the reference material. Rigorous and general solutions for the temperature difference oscillation are obtained in relation to the sample temperature as a reference oscillation. The results are quite different from those obtained in functions of the heat source temperature as a reference oscillation. From these solutions, application of the technique to heat capacity measurements is discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.