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An RM for Temperature and Enthalpy Calibration of Differential Scanning Calorimeters
RM 8103 Adamantane for Subambient DSC Temperature and Enthalpy Calibration
A new Reference Material (RM) has been developed for the temperature and enthalpy calibration of differential scanning calorimeters (DSCs). The addition of this new RM expands the applicable range of NIST’s DSC-related calibration standards to include sub-ambient temperatures and represents an attractive alternative to the previous option, Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2225 Mercury, which was discontinued in 2017 due to safety concerns.
Differential Scanning Calorimeters (DSCs) are regularly used in numerous applications including materials characterization, the evaluation of phase diagrams, purity determinations, kinetic investigations, and heat capacity measurements. DSCs have largely replaced classical precision calorimeters, such as adiabatic calorimeters, because they require smaller sample volumes, less time, and less specialized expertise to run. However, since DSC is not an absolute measurement technique, calibration is essential to ensure the accuracy of measured temperature, enthalpy, and heat capacity.
Adamantane has been identified as a low-temperature calibration material. It undergoes a crystalline rearrangement, from a face-centered cubic to a body-centered tetragonal lattice, at approximately –64 °C. This, combined with its low toxicity, low vapor pressure, and low reactivity, make adamantane an ideal candidate as a calibrant and an attractive alternative to mercury. Therefore, NIST has developed an adamantane reference material for the low‑temperature calibration of DSCs. The material was sourced from a single lot of high-purity adamantane.
A unit of RM 8103 consists of approximately 1 g of material sealed in a 10 mL amber glass bottle.
Learn More:
Fortin TJ, Koepke AA, Splett JD (2024) Development of Reference Material 8103: Adamantane for Subambient DSC Temperature and Enthalpy Calibration. (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD), NIST Special Publication (SP) 260-241. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.260-241