A major breakthrough in DSC: finally achieving < 1% uncertainty in the absolute specific heat capacity (cp).

In their study published in Thermochimica Acta, Yahya Rharbi and Frédéric Hugenell demonstrate that it is now possible to achieve better than 1% accuracy in the measurement of absolute specific heat capacity (cp) — a level that is extremely rare for disk-type DSC instruments.

By innovatively exploiting the isothermal signal as an internal indicator for crucible positioning, the authors turn a well-known source of uncertainty into an effective calibration tool. This fully software-based procedure, applicable to existing instruments, ensures a significant improvement in measurement reliability, even for samples weighing only a few milligrams.

This breakthrough paves the way for more precise, more robust, and more accessible calorimetry, meeting the growing need for fine material characterization.