The present recommendation of the GEFTA working group ''Calibration of
Scanning Calorimeters'' allows a precise heat and heat flow rate cali
bration of scanning calorimeters, largely independent of instrumental,
sample-related and experimental parameters. Electric energy, electric
power, heats of transition and heat capacities of suitable calibratio
n substances are used for calibration. The measuring method, measuring
and evaluation procedure, calibration materials, significant influenc
ing factors, sources of error and detailed examples are presented for
these calibration methods. Besides specific problems of heat measureme
nt (interpolation of the baseline for the peak area determination) and
heat capacity measurement (interpolation between initial and final is
otherms, determination of the true heating rate of the sample, thermal
lag of the sample), general aspects (thermodynamic fundamentals, diff
erence between heat and heat flow rate calibration factor, weighing pr
ocedure) are also discussed.