Measurements of temperature and heat of phase transformation of pure silicon by using differential scanning calorimetry

Abstract

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique has been applied for the experimental determination of temperature and heat of phase transition of pure silicon (7 N) during heating and cooling cycles at the rate of 10 K min−1. The measurements were carried out in the temperature range of 25–1450 °C in a flow gas atmosphere (Ar, 99.9992%) using three types of crucibles made of alumina, h-BN and alumina covered with h-BN coating. The following characteristics were estimated from DSC curves: melting point of silicon—1414 °C, the heat of fusion—1826 J g−1 and the heat of solidification—1654 J g−1. It was found that the silicon evaporation phenomenon accompanying the tests had no effect on the measurements of temperature during solid-to-liquid and liquid-to-solid transformations and on the measurement of the latent heat of fusion. The effect of crucible type on the DSC measurements is discussed.