A versatile differential calorimetry system for evaluation of phase transition and fluid-solid interfacial thermodynamics in nano-structured solids, surfactants, and polymers

提出了一种高精度、流量大的差示扫描量热计。该仪器将探测与材料相变有关的热量，以及在受控气氛下，在很宽的压力和温度范围内，与固体表面气相物质的相互作用有关的热量。该仪器的核心用户来自两所大学（多伦多大学和西安大略大学）四个不同系（化学工程与应用化学、机械与工业工程、牙科和土木工程）的八个不同研究小组。该仪器支持的多种研究学科包括：燃料和化学品生产的多相催化、环境修复的纳米材料设计、环境化学和健康科学的新型材料、高压应用的新型结构材料、燃烧化学和生物聚合物。该仪器为评估微量杂质的吸附、较大样品中存在的少量物种的相变、高压引起的相变和亚环境压力下的脱附提供了急需的精度。传统的量热计不具备进行定量分析所需的精度，因此不适合对这些研究课题进行严格的检查。申请人很清楚目前的局限性，并决定申请该仪器，该仪器可以从自动采样测量到高度定制的研究，对材料进行复杂的顺序处理。最后，该仪器还将作为研究生高级反应工程和催化课程的课堂设计，用于演示流固界面的热力学行为。

A high precision and flow through differential scanning calorimeter is requested in this proposal. This instrument will probe the heats associated with phase transition of materials and with the interaction of gas phase species on solid surfaces over a wide pressure and temperature range under controlled atmosphere. The core users of this instrument come from eight different research groups in four different departments (Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Dentistry, and Civil Engineering) from two universities (University of Toronto and University of Western Ontario). The diverse research disciplines to be supported by the instrument include: heterogeneous catalysis for fuel and chemical production, nano-material design for environmental remediation, novel materials for environmental chemistry and for health science, new structural materials for high pressure application, combustion chemistry, and biopolymer. The instrument provides the much needed precision for evaluating the adsorption of trace impurities, phase transition of minor species present within a larger sample, phase transition induced by high pressures, and desorption under sub-ambient pressures. Conventional calorimeter does not have the required precision for performing the quantitative analyses and therefore is not suitable for rigorous examinations of these research topics. The applicants are well aware of the current limitation and have decided to request this instrument that enables measurements from automated samplings to highly customize studies with complex sequential treatments performed on the materials. Finally, the instrument will also be used as a class project in the graduate advance reaction engineering and catalysis class to demonstrate the thermodynamics behavior at fluid-solid interfaces.