Calorimetric measurements in metallurgy: Remarks on calibration and some specific problems

A summary is reported on alloy thermodynamics with special reference to the measurements and evaluation of the formation enthalpies by means of calori metric techniques. Also, advantages and drawbacks of direct and indirect re action calorimetry are presented and discussed on the basis of the work in progress in the authors' laboratory. Comments are finally made about the pr oblems of the calibration, intercalibration and assessment of the thermoche mical data. Importance is given to the peculiar difficulties of alloy therm ochemistry and to the need for a strict determination of the composition (e lemental and phase composition) of the sample and of its equilibrium state. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.