Isothermal calorimetric measuring cell

The measurement of an enthalpy change is based either on the law of conservation of energy or on the Newton and Stefan-Boltzmann laws for the rate of heat transfer. In the latter case, the heat flow between a sample and a heat sink maintained at isothermal conditions is measured. Most of these isoperibol heat flux calorimeters are of the twin type with two sample chambers, each surrounded by a thermopile linking it to a constant temperature metal block or another type of heat reservoir. A reaction is initiated in one sample chamber after obtaining a stable stationary state defining the baseline from the thermopiles. The other sample chamber acts as a reference. As the reaction proceeds, the thermopile measures the temperature difference between the sample chamber and the reference cell. The rate of heat flow between the calorimeter and its surroundings is proportional to the temperature difference between the sample and the heat sink and the total heat effect is proportional to the integrated area under the calorimetric peak. A calibration is thus... 

Microcalorimeters are well suited for the determination of differential enthalpies of adsorption, as will be commented on in Sections 3.2.2 and 3.3.3. Nevertheless, one should appreciate that there is a big step between the measurement of a heat of adsorption and the determination of a meaningful energy or enthalpy of adsorption. The measured heat depends on the experimental conditions (e.g. on the extent of reversibility of the process, the dead volume of the calorimetric cell and the isothermal or adiabatic operation of the calorimeter). It is therefore essential to devise the calorimetric experiment in such a way that it is the change of state which is assessed and not the mode of operation of the calorimeter. 

On the other hand, for slow reactions, adiabatic and isothermal calorimeters are used and in the case of very small heat effects, heat-flow micro-calorimeters are suitable. Heat effects of thermodynamic processes lower than 1J are advantageously measured by the micro-calorimeter proposed by Tian (1923) or its modifications. For temperature measurement of the calorimetric vessel and the cover, thermoelectric batteries of thermocouples are used. At exothermic processes, the electromotive force of one battery is proportional to the heat flow between the vessel and the cover. The second battery enables us to compensate the heat evolved in the calorimetric vessel using the Peltier s effect. The endothermic heat effect is compensated using Joule heat. Calvet and Prat (1955, 1958) then improved the Tian s calorimeter, introducing the differential method of measurement using two calorimetric cells, which enabled direct determination of the reaction heat. 

A 5 ml volume of the 0.5 mol 1 solution of BF3 etherate in nitrobenzene is placed in the calorimetric cell under dry nitrogen or argon. The syringe pusher is filled with a sufficient volume of 2.5 mol 1 pyridine solution. Using these values, 0.100-0.200 ml injection steps allow for 5-10 additions. For an isothermal titration calorimeter, the time interval between each injection should be sufficient for the signal to return to the baseline (for a Dewar calorimeter, allowance is made for temperature stabilization after each injection). When the temperature of the system is equilibrated, the data acquisition and the injection programme are started. A preliminary experiment should be carried out to measure the blank value, corresponding to the heat of dilution of pyridine solution in the pure solvent. 

From Eq. 1.23 it turns out that the experimental heat measured in a gas-solid open system, operating in a differential assembly of calorimetric cells, represents the enthalpy change associated to the adsorption. This result applies to adsorption processes performed in a gas-solid open system through the admission of the adsorptive on the solid material kept isothermally within a heat-flow microcalorimeter consisting of two cells in opposition. 

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