The Perkin Elmer Pyris 6 differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) is used to measure the enthalpy (dH) change and heat capacity of materials as they are heated or cooled in a small furnace. This provides information about the reversibility of phase transitions and the thermal history of the sample as well as a direct determination of whether the transition is endothermic or exothermic. DSC is commonly used to analyze polymers and liquid crystal materials and also provides measurement of oxidative stability and purity of chemical preparations. This instrument is a classical heat flow calorimeter, measuring the heat flow required to keep the sample and a reference pan at the same temperature as the furnace temperature is scanned. Key features of the instrument include:

• 40 position autosampler
• Typical operating temperatures of -30^o C to 250^o C with an upper limit of 450^o C
• Low end temperature range can be extended to -50^o C with notice
• Can be equipped with a refrigerated water bath for cooling or a liquid N₂ air jet cooling system
• Sensitivity of 0.6 uW with +/- 250 mW dynamic range and +/- 0.1 ^oC temperature precision