Melting vs. Solidification of a Pure Metal Analysed by DSC

Abstract

The aim of the present paper is to analyse the melting/solidification of pure metals resulting from non-equilibrium conditions. Attention is focused on the direct measurement of the calorimetric signal obtained under isothermal hold of the sample at a temperature close to the equilibrium melting temperature Tm, which results in both melting of an overheated solid and solidification of an undercooled melt. The non-equilibrium transformations are monitored by DSC under isothermal regime, with previous continuous heating/continuous cooling of the sample. The dependence of the calorimetric signal on thermodynamic factors, ΔH and ΔG, is explored. Here ΔH and ΔG are, respectively, the melting enthalpy and Gibbs free energy difference between the crystal and the liquid. In particular, the results of the investigation performed on the melting/solidification behaviour of pure In and Pb are presented.

Thermal Analysis

“…There are numerous papers dealing with metals and some of these are highlighted in this section of the review. Clavaguera-Mora et al focused their attention on the direct measurement of the calorimetric signal obtained under isothermal hold for a pure metal at a temperature close to the equilibrium melting temperature, Tm, which results in both melting of an overheated solid and solidification of an undercooled melt (82).…”