LimsPulse
Thermal analysis & ovens

Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC)

Measures the heat flowing into or out of a small sample compared with an empty reference pan while both are heated or cooled. It shows melting, crystallisation, glass transitions and polymorphic changes.

  • Pharmaceutical
  • Polymers and plastics
  • Food
  • Materials research
  • Chemicals
Photo of a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC)
Photo: Nick Birse, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
Follow your site SOP
This is a typical operating sequence for learning. Your instrument model and approved SOP take precedence.
STAGE 1

Before you start

  1. 1Check the calibration status and that the last indium check passed.
  2. 2Switch on the purge gas and cooling accessory and let the cell stabilise.
  3. 3Run an empty-pan baseline if required by your method.
  • Check the purge gas cylinder pressure; a gas failure changes the baseline and can damage the cell at high temperature.
STAGE 2

Sample preparation

  1. 1Weigh 2–5 mg of sample accurately into a tared pan using a microbalance.
  2. 2Spread the sample thinly over the pan bottom for good thermal contact.
  3. 3Crimp the lid (pierced lid if volatiles must escape) and reweigh.
  4. 4Prepare an empty reference pan of the same type.
  • Do not touch pans with bare fingers; use tweezers.
  • Never overfill pans; spilled sample contaminates the sensor.
STAGE 3

Running

  1. 1Load the sample and reference pans in the correct positions.
  2. 2Enter the sample name and mass, and select the method (for example equilibrate at 25 °C, heat at 10 °C/min to 250 °C).
  3. 3Start the run and check the signal looks normal.
  4. 4Evaluate the onset, peak temperature and enthalpy using the approved evaluation settings.
  • Do not heat a sample above its decomposition temperature in a sealed pan; it may burst and contaminate the cell. Check with TGA first.
STAGE 4

After use

  1. 1Let the cell cool before removing pans.
  2. 2Dispose of used pans; never reuse them.
  3. 3Leave the purge gas on as recommended, and complete the logbook.
In LimsPulse · Calibration Management

Keep every DSC in control: usage logs, calibration and maintenance schedules, and automatic blocking of overdue instruments.

See how