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AlexSYS Workshop

High Temperature Oxide Melt Solution Calorimetry

June 27-28, 2017
Peter A. Rock Thermochemistry Laboratory, UC Davis

AlexSYS is the commercial version of custom-built Tian-Calvet twin calorimeters, which are the heart of the Peter A Rock Thermochemistry Laboratory. The instruments have been used for over forty years, with constant improvements, to study the thermodynamic properties of bulk and nanosized metals, alloys, complex mixed oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, etc. (e.g. enthalpy of formation, enthalpy of transition, vitrification, fusion, enthalpy of reaction, surface energy). Although Setaram has built calorimeters for high-temperature operation for many years, the first commercial high-temperature Tian-Calvet AlexSYS twin calorimeter was built by Setaram in 2010. It is currently in use at TU Freiberg Germany. A total of nine AlexSYS calorimeters exist worldwide, and the number of users increases every year.

The workshop covered both basic and advanced topics in high temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry measurements performed on the AlexSYS. The first day opened with a brief presentation of the calorimetry technique, the instrument and selected applications. The participants shared their experiences with high-temperature calorimetry, current projects, interests and future plans.

The second day was dedicated to technical topics of common interest to stimulate future collaborative work, discuss new challenges in experimental oxide melt solution calorimetry, and demonstrate new refinements in methodology. There was a discussion of possible joint proposals, including a thermodynamics-focused DOE EFRC. Participants brought up the need for a collaborative resource database of thermochemical data points and to share other research-related information. All agreed to the formation of the Thermodynamics Consortium or ThermoCon. The workshop was followed by an optional two days of advanced training on AlexSYS systems.

The participants, all former and current users, were from the University of California, Davis; University of Notre Dame, Clemson University, Washington State University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.