Comparative DSC study on thermal decomposition of iron sulphates

The objects for the studies of this paper are iron sulfates where the iron has second or third valences and where coordination between iron, sulfur and oxygen is different. DSC technique is used to investigate thermal stability and enthalpy changes when iron compounds are treated in different gas medium. The main objective is to compare thermal stability and enthalpy of iron oxy-sulphate, often detected as an intermediate, with commonly known iron sulphates. DSC curves of samples with equal mass under different gas medium, determining different partial pressure of oxygen in the gas phase, are the base for comparative study of the sample’s thermal properties. Obtained different values of the enthalpy and mass losses and kinetic parameters demonstrate that the stability of oxy-sulphate strongly depended on the value of oxygen partial pressure in the gas phase. The new evidences from the experimental study help to propose the mechanism of the decomposition and to compare some of the iron sulphates properties.